Madawaska Historical Society scrapbook collection of memorial cards

Collection

Identifier: MCC-00586-UM-586

Scope and Contents

The collection contains 37 memorial cards, often featuring the person’s name, date of birth, date of death, and photograph alongside a prayer, with religious imagery decorating the back, in French and English for different residents of the St. John Valley, who died between 1934 and 1968.

Dates

Creation: 1946 - 1968

Biographical / Historical

Memorial cards, similar to obituary or prayer cards, are often created by Catholic communities to honor a recently deceased individual. In the Saint John Valley, cards may be printed farther south in Maine and New Hampshire, or north in Quebec. They are distributed to attendees at funerals, wakes, and other gatherings.

Biographical / Historical

Since 1968, the Madawaska Historical Society in Madawaska, Maine has worked to preserve their local history. A log cabin purchased soon thereafter became the first museum in the Upper Saint John Valley and housed the society’s headquarters. The society was also responsible for acquiring land for the historic “Acadian Landing site,” a white cross marking the 1785 arrival of Acadians in the valley; this purchase allowed them to expand their museum grounds. Ever since the first family reunions around the annual Acadian Festival, beginning in 1978, the society has also helped families compile their genealogy into printed volumes. Additionally, they publish titles on local history.