Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Five Valleys Memorial Society records, 1973-2013
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Five Valleys Memorial Society
- Title
- Five Valleys Memorial Society records
- Dates
- 1973-2013 (inclusive)19732013
- Quantity
-
1.3 linear feet and 26 electronic files
8.5 megabytes of digital material - Collection Number
- Mss 833
- Summary
- The Five Valleys Memorial Society was a non-profit corporation in Missoula, Montana that provided information and assistance to people preplanning their burials or cremations. The collection contains newsletters, meeting minutes, correspondence, directories, contracts, financial papers, articles of incorporation, by-laws, research files, and tax information for the Five Valleys Memorial Society as well as publications by other funeral societies and funeral homes.
- Repository
-
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Formed in 1973, the Five Valleys Burial-Memorial Association organized as a consumer information association involved in funeral arrangements in and around Missoula, Montana. The Association’s by-laws, adopted in 1974, outlined their primary purpose as “promot[ing] dignity, simplicity, and economy in funeral arrangements, and to encourage more concern for the living and more awareness of the life values of the deceased.” The Association met these aims through contracting lower rates for their members at area funeral homes and disseminating information regarding end-of-life preparations. In 1974, action taken by many members of the Association in support of House Joint Resolution 43 to eliminate an embalming requirement for all cadavers within 24 hours of death helped create an environment favorable to a memorial society. The 24 hour embalming requirement made it difficult for families to carry out preplanned funeral arrangements and the Association successfully supported HJR 43 to allow reasonable time to transport bodies and follow arrangement plans.
The Association was incorporated by the state of Montana on July 11, 1974, and operated as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization, approved by Montana and the federal government in July 1974, with an all-volunteer Board of Directors elected by the membership. An independently contracted “records secretary” maintained the day-to-day activities of the company, keeping the members’ information current, answering member questions, and maintaining Association bank records. The Association retained a modest membership through 1974, ending the year with 285 members, by 2012, the year of its dissolution, it had 1479 members. On October 6, 1997, an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation changed the name of the corporation to Five Valley’s Memorial Society (FVMS). FVMS held an annual meeting to update members on its activities and often invited guest speakers from various health care professions.
In March 2011, at the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors recommended the Society disband because of its inability to operate on its income. The Society’s initial expenses were covered by its one-time membership fee; however, as time passed the recruitment of new members slowed as did FVMS’ ability to negotiate for lower rates as area funeral homes consolidated. Members voted to disband at the March 2012 Annual Meeting and the Five Valleys Memorial Society applied for dissolution on May 29, 2012, which was approved and filed on June 13, 2012.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Five Valleys Memorial Society records (1973-2012) contain: administrative records (1973-2012), such as articles of incorporation, by-laws, reports, agendas, and minutes; correspondence (1973-2012) relating to the organization’s day-to-day activity, interaction with members, financial matters, and the annual meeting; financial reports (1987-2011), including income and expense reports, budgets, and yearly comparative analyses; member directories (1974-2009); newsletters published by Five Valleys Memorial Society (1973-2012); independent contractor agreements and job descriptions (1989-2011); pamphlets and forms disseminated by Five Valleys Memorial Society (1973-2012); federal tax information (1975-2011); state tax information (1974-2012); research collected by Five Valleys concerning funeral pricing and contracts (1990-2012); service contracts with funeral homes (1974-2012); legislative and activist materials concerning House Joint Resolution 43 (1973-1974); and publications from funeral homes and other funeral societies, including newsletters and funeral pricing (1996-2012). The electronic records include member lists, addresses, meeting minutes, board member lists, newsletters, correspondence, and pamphlets (2002-2004).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive copyright transferred to The University of Montana--Missoula.
Preferred Citation
[Name of document or photograph number], Five Valleys Memorial Society Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is divided into two series.
Series I. Administrative Records, 1.2 linear feet and 26 electronic files, 1973-2013
Series II. Publications of Other Organizations, 0.1 linear feet, 1996-2012
Custodial History
This collection arrived in six different accessions during 2012 and 2013. Five donations came from Hal Braun, who retained possession of the materials as former President of the Five Valleys Memorial Society. Another donation came from Rustem Medora who retained financial records as former Treasurer of the Five Valleys Memorial Society.
Future Additions
There are no expected additions to this collection.
Processing Note
Print materials were placed into folders by the processor. Electronic records are housed on the Archives and Special Collections server; please see the archivist for access. The collection’s original file labels were retained wherever possible, but many documents were out of order or unfiled. Electronic files were renamed with more descriptive titles that correspond to the physical collection. Letters from federal and state employees concerning tax status were filed under their respective originator instead of correspondence because they often included and/or explained official forms and actions. Most of the reports, minutes, correspondence, and newsletters from the mid-1990s to the 2000s were removed from two binders and filed accordingly. Correspondence from 1973 to 1981 was removed from a single binder and its order retained with a few additions of unfiled materials. Two complete but undated member directories were each removed from a binder and their original order maintained. Banking and checking account information were removed during processing, as were duplicate documents.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Administrative Records, 1973-2013Return to Top
These materials document the operating procedures of the Five Valleys Memorial Society. Materials are organized alphabetically.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Address Labels |
undated |
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Annual Meetings Minutes, Agendas,
and Reports |
1975-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Application for Employment, Mary T. Watson |
June 10, 2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
1/2 | Articles of
Incorporation |
1974 |
1/3 | Board of Directors |
1974-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Board of Directors |
circa 2005 |
Electronic File | Board of Directors Mailing List |
2005 |
Box/Folder | ||
1/4 | Board of Directors Meetings
Minutes, Agendas, and Reports |
1974-2003 |
1/5 | Board of Directors Meetings
Minutes, Agendas, and Reports |
2004-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Brochure, Back |
undated |
Electronic File | Brochure, Front |
undated |
Box/Folder | ||
1/6 | Business Operations |
1980-2011 |
1/7 | By-Laws |
1974-2011 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Cash Sheet |
2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
1/8 | Correspondence |
1973-1999 |
1/9 | Correspondence |
2001-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Dowling Funeral Home Letter |
August 5, 2004 |
Electronic File | Executive Board |
2004-2005 |
Box/Folder | ||
1/10 | Financial Reports |
1987-2003 |
1/11 | Financial Reports |
2004-2011 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Flyer |
undated |
Electronic File | Grant File Record |
2002 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/1 | History of Five Valleys Memorial
Society |
1976-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | History of Five Valleys Memorial Society by David Line |
undated |
Electronic File | Independent Contractor Agreement |
2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/2 | Independent Contractor - "Record
Secretary" |
1989-2011 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Information Sheet |
undated |
Box/Folder | ||
2/3 | Internal Revenue Service Tax
Information |
1975-2013 |
2/4 | Legislative Materials Concerning
Funerals |
1973-1974 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Letter to New Members |
circa 2002 |
Electronic File | Meeting Minutes |
June 30, 2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/5 | Member Directory |
1974-1997 |
2/6 | Member Directory |
2006 |
2/7 | Member Directory |
undated |
2/8 | Member Directory |
undated |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Member Directory |
undated |
Electronic File | Membership Labels |
2004 |
Electronic File | Membership Labels |
undated |
Electronic File | Membership Letter |
July 12, 2004 |
Electronic File | Membership List |
circa 2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/9 | Membership Statistics |
1974-2012 |
2/10 | Miscellaneous |
1981-2010 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | More Addresses |
December 2003 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/11 | Newsletters |
1974-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Newsletter |
2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/12 | Pamphlets and Forms |
1973-2012 |
2/13 | Partners in Home Care
Donation |
April 22, 2013 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | President's Report |
2003-2004 |
Box/Folder | ||
2/14 | Research
File-Contracts |
1998-2000 |
3/1 | Research File-Funeral Pricing
Nationally |
1990-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Secretary's Report |
January 4, 2003 |
Box/Folder | ||
3/2 | Service Contracts and Member
Pricing |
1974-2012 |
3/3 | State of Montana Corporation and
Tax Information |
1974-2012 |
electronic_file | ||
Electronic File | Treasurer's Report |
2003 |
Box | ||
3/4 | University of Montana
Donation |
2013 |
Series II: Publications of Other Organizations, 1996-2012Return to Top
Most of these materials are advertisements and price guides for funeral homes and other funeral societies, there are also publications and promotional materials for the Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/5 | Funeral Consumers
Alliance |
1996-2012 |
3/6 | Funeral Homes |
1997-2012 |
3/7 | Other Funeral
Societies |
1997-2007 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Death care industry--Montana--Missoula.
- Funeral homes--Montana--Missoula.
- Undertakers and undertaking--Law and legislation--Montana.
Corporate Names
- Five Valleys Memorial Society--Archives.