Steven Vance collection of memorial cards

Collection

Identifier: MCC-00587-UM-587

Scope and Contents

This collection contains 36 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 spanning the years 1917 to 1986.

Dates

Creation: 1917 - 1986

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

Steven Vance is a resident of Aroostook County, Maine, who worked for MSAD 1 (Maine School Administrative District 1) for many years, first as a science teacher at Presque Isle High School, then as a technology coordinator for the district. He retired in 2005 and has also volunteered as a technology and networking coordinator at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle. There, he worked with a server containing 25,000+ obituary records for individuals from the county. He has also volunteered with the Aroostook Amateur Radio Association.