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MacDonald Family Papers, 1905-2019 (bulk 1964-2019)

Overview of the Collection

Creator
MacDonald Family
Title
MacDonald Family Papers
Dates
1905-2019 (bulk 1964-2019) (inclusive)
Quantity
5.2 linear feet and 305 MB (737 electronic files)
Collection Number
Mss 948
Summary
The MacDonald Family Papers contain the correspondence of the MacDonald family of Glendive, Montana, written primarily between the years of 1964 and 2019. The MacDonald family newsletters, which circulated between Marie and Alexander MacDonald and their six children and their children’s spouses on a monthly basis, detail a wide-range of topics relating to their family lives and careers. Although several of the MacDonald siblings moved away from Montana as adults, news about Montana family, friends, and current events from the 1960s to the 2010s is frequently conveyed in the correspondence.
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.
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Biographical Note

Marie Peterson MacDonald was born on February 24, 1913 to Swedish immigrants who homesteaded near Great Falls, Montana. She attended the University of Montana for one quarter. After the onset of the Depression, she transferred to Western Montana College to earn a teaching certificate. She taught for two years at the Mee School near Highwood, and then enrolled in the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism in 1936. Marie taught school in Ekalaka, Montana, before marrying Alexander "Mac" Colin MacDonald in 1941. Alexander, who was born on May 12, 1913, studied dentistry at the University of Minnesota and served in the U.S. Army Dental Corps during World War II. During this time the family was stationed at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Five of Marie and Alexander's six children were born in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area before the family moved to Glendive, Montana, where Alexander set up his dental practice in 1946.

In 1954, Marie became the first woman elected to the Glendive City Council. She also served two terms as a trustee for the Montana State Historical Society and was an Eastern Congressional District Committeewoman for the Democratic Party. From 1964 to 1974, Marie worked as the city of Glendive's librarian. During this time, she wrote two books about Eastern Montana history: After Barbed Wire (1963) and Glendive: History of a Montana Town (1968).

As the MacDonald children married, established careers, and moved away from the family home in Glendive, Marie coordinated a family newsletter every month for over a decade. Although Alexander died on January 21, 1979, Marie continued to be an avid correspondent until her own death on July 24, 1988. Afterward, her children continued the tradition.

Mariellen "Ma'len" Kristine MacDonald Neudeck is the oldest child of Marie and Alexander MacDonald. She was born on November 25, 1941 in Minnesota. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and her master's degree from the University of North Dakota. Mariellen married Gerold Neudeck in 1962. The couple moved to West Lafayette, Indiana where Gerold taught electrical engineering at Purdue University, and Mariellen served as president and board member of the West Lafayette School Board. She later established a career as the Vice President of the Greater Lafayette Health Services. Mariellen and Gerold have two sons: Philip and Alexander.

Alice Joanna MacDonald Down, second daughter of Marie and Alexander, was born on February 26, 1943. She graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula in 1964 and moved to Lompoc, California, where she worked as a history and special education teacher until retiring in 2003. Alice married Allan MacDonald in 1966; the marriage ended in 1974. In 1977 she married Raymond Down. They have four children: Ray's children Rilyn and Robert, Alice's son, Laird, and their son, Adam.

Alexander "Sandy" Edward MacDonald, the third child of the family, was born on March 29, 1945. He completed his undergraduate degree at Montana State University in Bozeman in 1967 and his graduate degree in meteorology at St. Louis University. In his early career, Alexander served as a meteorologist in the U.S. Air Force. He later became the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Forecast Systems Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Alexander married Susan Hayes in 1969, and they have three children: Lee, Anne, and Michael.

Peter David MacDonald and Sheila Jane MacDonald Stearns are twins born to Marie and Alexander on August 30, 1946. Peter studied economics at the University of Montana before earning a master's degree in urban planning and a law degree from the University of Arizona. He specialized in land use and worked as an attorney for the cities of Salinas and Pleasanton, California. He also served as president of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. Peter married Kathleen Bourke in 1969, and they have two sons: Bourke and Evan.

Sheila Jane MacDonald Stearns earned a bachelor's degree in English and history, a master's degree in history, and a doctorate in educational administration, all from the University of Montana. Over the course of her career, Shelia served as an administrator at the University of Montana, provost and chancellor for University of Montana Western in Dillon, president of Wayne State College in Nebraska, and as the first woman and longest-serving Montana state commissioner of higher education from 2003 until 2012. After stepping down as commissioner, Sheila was appointed as interim chancellor at Montana State University in Billings in 2014 and as president of the University of Montana in Missoula in 2017. In 1968 Sheila married Harold "Hal" J. Stearns, a teacher and general in the Montana Army National Guard. They have two children: Scott and Malin. Sheila Stearns passed away in 2023.

Margaret "Margie" Eve MacDonald is the youngest child. She was born on August 31, 1951 and was the only MacDonald sibling born after the family moved to Glendive, Montana. Margaret attended the University of Montana and dedicated her career to advocacy and non-profit work. She moved to Billings, Montana, and served as the staff director of the Northern Plains Resource Council, a grassroots conservation group. Margaret met her husband, John Smillie, while they were both working for the organization. She later became the executive director of the Montana Association of Churches and won election to both the Montana State House of Representatives and the Montana State Senate. She also served as the director of the Governor's Office of Community Service under Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Margaret and John have two children: Siri and Charles.

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Content Description

The MacDonald Family Papers contain the correspondence of the MacDonald family of Glendive, Montana, written primarily between the years of 1964 and 2019. After the six MacDonald siblings moved away from home, their mother, Marie, organized a newsletter, which was circulated amongst the family on a monthly basis. Sometimes it took the form of a single letter written by one of the siblings to the whole family, but more often, several family members would contribute letters detailing their lives and careers. Each of the MacDonald children served in distinguished leadership positions in their respective communities, and their correspondence reflects their intellectual engagement with the current issues of the day and their individual interests at the time. The collection also contains family photos, clippings, and other ephemera, which were included with the correspondence.

The MacDonald Family Papers consist of three series. Series I contains the physical correspondence mailed amongst the family members, as well as some printed copies of correspondence, photos, and documents which were originally sent electronically. Series II contains emails and associated digital material sent between the MacDonald siblings and/or their spouses. Series III is an unpublished manuscript by Marie MacDonald.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive copyright is held by the University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

MacDonald Family Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series:

Series I: Physical Correspondence, 1964-2019, 5.2 linear feet

Series II: Electronic Correspondence, 2001-2019, 305 MB (737 files)

Series III: Manuscript by Marie MacDonald, circa 1980, 1 electronic file

Custodial History

Each MacDonald sibling held various items in this collection before they were centralized in 2016 and donated to the University of Montana in 2021. Sheila MacDonald Stearns was the principle custodian and superintendent of the effort to organize the correspondence as the MacDonald Family Papers.

Acquisition Information

Sheila MacDonald Stearns donated the correspondence series to the University of Montana in April 2021. She donated Marie MacDonald's unpublished manuscript in 2024.

Processing Note

Corbin Clark was hired by Sheila MacDonald Stearns to compile, organize, digitize, and describe the collection. Correspondence within each series was arranged chronologically.

Related Materials

MacDonald, Marie Peterson. After Barbed Wire: A Pictorial History of the Homestead Rush into the Northern Great Plains, 1900-1919, (1963)

MacDonald, Marie Peterson. Glendive: The History of a Montana Town, (1968)

MacDonald, Marie Peterson and Harold Lee Chambers. Montana in Print, (1972)

MacDonald, Marie. "Country Kids in Chicago: Montana's First Delegation to the National 4-H Club Congress, 1925," in Montana The Magazine of Western History. Vol. 32, No. 4 (Autumn, 1982), pp. 74-77.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Family Names

  • MacDonald Family--Archives

Form or Genre Terms

  • Archives
  • Family papers

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • MacDonald, Alexander Collin, 1913-1979 (creator)
    • MacDonald, Marie Peterson, 1913-1988 (creator)

    Family Names

    • MacDonald Family (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Corbin Clark and Kristin Gates
2021

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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