Background on Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts
Funerals in the U.S. are an expensive business, and grieving families will often accept what is called “traditional” rather than try to fight for services tailored to their budgets and beliefs. The first memorial societies were founded to combat the often predatory practices of the funeral industry after embalming prices skyrocketed in the 1930s, but the movement didn’t fully catch on until 1958 when investigative journalist Jessica Mitford brought the issue to greater public attention. Her article “Saint Peter Don’t Call On Me,” television appearances, and subsequent book “The American Way of Death” broke taboos surrounding the discussion of burial and sparked the founding of watchdog and consumer advocacy organizations across the country. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Mass (FCAWM), initially known as the Springfield Memorial Society, was founded in 1959, incorporated in March 1962, and by 1963 had federated with other similar organizations to create the Continental Association of Funeral and Memorial Societies (CAFMS). When Canadian groups separated from CAFMS, the federation name changed to Funeral and Memorial Societies of America (FAMSA), and later (2000) the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA).
For 60 years the FCAWM has conducted biennial surveys of funeral home prices in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, maintained a newsletter, educated the public about funeral planning, and lobbied for greater industry transparency.
Scope of collection
The bulk of the FCAWM records contain organizational records such as correspondence, minutes and agendas for public and private meetings, and financial records. There is also a selection of informational pamphlets and leaflets generated by the FCAWM, other FCAs, and the funeral industry. Additionally, there are several pages from a set of scrapbooks maintained by former members between 1964 and 1978 which contain newspaper and magazine clippings on death, dying, and the funeral industry at large. The collection was acquired from Sandra Ward in 2021, a board member and former president of the FCAWM, and includes material collected both by herself and previous presidents.
Series descriptions
Consists of internal communication and documents from the FCAWM dated from 1959 to 2014. Included are materials pertaining to public annual meetings and meetings of the board of trustees such as agendas, minutes and notes; financial records including treasurer's reports, tax documents, and the FCAWM's application for tax-exemption; documents detailing the organization's bylaws, aims, and processes; and materials for the production of price surveys and quarterly newsletters.
Contains printed materials from the FCAWM as well as other regional FCA chapters and general funeral industry organizations. Included are newsletters, price surveys of funeral homes in the region, brochures, educational booklets, and catalogs.
This series is comprised of portions of newspapers as well as clippings and printouts of individual articles relating to death, dying, and the funeral industry. The bulk of this series comes from a scrapbook of such articles maintained by the FCAWM from January 1964 to October 1978.
Inventory
Series 1. Administrative Records
1959-2014
1023, 501(c)3 application drafts, acceptance
2005-2010
Box 1: 1.
501(c)3 application guide, correspondence
2009 Nov-2010 Jun
Box 1: 2.
800 number, notes, correspondence, report, phone logs
2004 Feb-2006 May
Box 1: 3.
Advocacy ideas, correspondence, articles
2010-2012
Box 1: 4.
Annual meetings: schedules, minutes, news clippings
1959-1969
Box 1: 5.
Annual meetings: programs, news clippings
1979-1979
Box 1: 6.
Annual meetings: treasurers reports
1980-1988
Box 1: 7.
Annual meetings: announcements, agendas, notes, press release, cassettes
1990-1999
Box 1: 8.
Annual meeting: packet, notes, treasurer's report
2000
Box 1: 9.
Annual meeting: promotion, guest speaker Lisa Carlson, minutes
2001
Box 1: 10.
Annual meeting: minutes, bylaws revision, location materials, attendence
2003 Nov
Box 1: 11.
Annual meeting: minutes, attendance, correspondence, program
2004 Nov-2004 Oct
Box 1: 12.
Annual meeting: minutes, treasurer's report, agenda, directions
2005 Oct
Box 1: 13.
Annual meeting: agenda, attendance, minutes
2006 Nov
Box 1: 14.
Annual meeting: agenda, minutes, treasurer's report
2008 Oct
Box 1: 15.
Annual reports: correspondence, copies
1962-1998
Box 1: 16.
Articles of incorporation, correspondence, notes
2010
Box 1: 17.
Bank account, correspondence, notes
2003 Apr-2004 Nov,2007
Box 1: 18.
Barbara Meltzer memorials
2004 Apr
Box 1: 19.
Boundaries, correspondence
2000 Aug 31-2004 Feb 21
Box 1: 20.
Bylaws, proposed revisions, correspondence, passed at annual meeting
2003 Nov
Box 1: 21.
Complaints to FCA, local and national, correspondence
2005 Feb-2005 May
Box 1: 22.
Correspondence: Coan, Carol
2003-2009
Box 2: 1.
Correspondence: Fatherly, John, book reviews
2005-2007
Box 2: 2.
Correspondence: funeral homes
1977-2008
Box 2: 3.
Correspondence: general
2003
Box 2: 4.
Correspondence: general
2005-2008
Box 2: 5.
Correspondence: Lepper, Mabel; Lepper, Arthur
1959-1984
Box 2: 6.
Correspondence; Lewonchuk, Cecelia
2003-2009
Box 2: 7.
Correspondence: progress reports
2003 May-2004 Apr
Box 2: 8.
Duties of officers and trustees
1998
Box 2: 9.
Employer identification number: notes, application
2003 Apr
Box 2: 10.
FCAEM: meeting notes, brochure
2003
Box 2: 11.
Funeral rule violation, FOIA, article
1996 Feb-1996 Nov
Box 2: 12.
Good standing, correspondence
2004 Nov-2005 Feb
Box 2: 13.
History, past trustees, correspondence
1995,1998,2003,2008
Box 2: 14.
Incorporation copy, correspondence
1962,2003
Box 2: 15.
Incorporation copy, bylaws, amendment
1962,1994
Box 2: 16.
IRS: tax exemption revoked, correspondence
2013 Mar
Box 2: 17.
IRS documents: general, correspondence
2014
Box 2: 18.
IRS questions, instructions
2012-2014
Box 2: 19.
Logbook: members list, donations
1995-2001
Box 2: 20.
Log: orders, contributions
2003 Mar-2004 Aug
Box 2: 21.
Mailing list
2004 Nov 24
Box 2: 22.
Members list
1999-2001
Box 3: 1.
Members list, new members
2003-2004
Box 3: 2.
Members lists
2003 Nov-2004 Mar
Box 3: 3.
Membership transfer letters
2004 Arp 6-2004 Oct 21
Box 3: 4.
Members list
2010 Nov 20
Box 3: 5.
Memorial: Lepper, Mabel
1999 Oct 18
Box 3: 6.
Order form, survey, responses
2003 Jun
Box 3: 7.
Post office box: notes, coupons
2003 Apr
Box 3: 8.
Publicity guide, correspondence, town crier contact
2003
Box 3: 9.
Press release info and samples, press contacts
2001-2004
Box 3: 10.
Price survey, correspondence
2004
Box 3: 11.
Price survey samples
1998,2004
Box 3: 12.
Procedures, duties of officers and trustees
2004
Box 3: 13.
Recruitment, notes, surveys, correspondence
2003
Box 3: 14.
Steering committee minutes, correspondence, attendance
2003 Sep-2003 Oct
Box 3: 15.
Steering committee notes, correspondence
2003 Jun-2003 Aug
Box 3: 16.
Tax exemption: instructions, application
2009-2013
Box 3: 17.
Thank you letters: examples, correspondence
2009-2011
Box 3: 18.
Treasurer's reports, notes, correspondence, prep, copies
1999-2008
Box 3: 19.
Trustee meetings: minutes, notes, correspondence, schedule, bylaws
2004
Box 4: 1.
Trustee meetings: correspondence, minutes, history, price survey
2005
Box 4: 2.
Trustee meetings: correspondence, minutes, agendas, flier, treasurer's reports
2006
Box 4: 3.
Trustee meetings: correspondence, agendas, minutes, notes, flier, newsletter
2007
Box 4: 4.
Trustee meetings: correspondence, minutes, agendas
2008
Box 4: 5.
Trustee meetings: minutes, correspondence, agendas
2009
Box 4: 6.
Trustee meetings: agendas, minutes, correspondence, flier
2010
Box 4: 7.
Series 2. Publicity
1964-2020
AARP product reports
1992
Box 5: 1.
Biennial Conference
2006 Jun
Box 5: 2.
Booklet: cancer connections, correspondence
2004 Oct
Box 5: 3.
Booklets: choosing your path, planning, consumer guides
1995-2005
Box 5: 4.
Booklets: funeral costs, children's questions about death, right to die, planning, living will
1966-2003
Box 5: 5.
Booklets, handout: hospice
1991-1993
Box 5: 6.
Brochures, order forms
2003-2018
Box 5: 7.
Brochure: skin donation
2003
Box 5: 8.
Brochures: Spanish
2012-2013,2019
Box 5: 9.
Carol Coan talk
2004 Nov 29
Box 5: 10.
Choices, voices, newsletter
1997-2001
Box 5: 11.
Cremation bill hearings
1984 Oct-1990 Oct
Box 5: 12.
Cremation: pricelists, brochures, certificate of scattering
2003 Jun, 2004 Mar
Box 5: 13.
Examples of talks
1965-2020
Box 5: 14.
FAMSA newsletters
1994-1999
Box 5: 15.
FCA correspondence to affiliates
1996-2004
Box 5: 16.
FCA brochures, correspondence, CD
2015-2017
Box 6: 1.
FCA brochure: caring for your own dead
1996 Aug
Box 6: 2.
FCA: GPL training examples
2004
Box 6: 3.
FCA national board election, correspondence to affiliates, voting information
2003-2004
Box 6: 4.
FCA national bylaws
1978-2001
Box 6: 5.
FCA newsletters
2000-2004
Box 6: 6.
FCA newsletters
2005-2010
Box 6: 7.
FCAEM: new member packet
2000-2001
Box 6: 8.
FCAWM: membership packet 1/2
2000
Box 6: 9.
FCAWM: membership packet 2/2
2000
Box 6: 10.
FCAWM newsletters, notes, prototype, correspondence
2003
Box 6: 11.
FCAWM newsletters, correspondence, notes
2004
Box 6: 12.
FCAWM newsletters, correspondence, brochure
2005-2006
Box 6: 13.
FCAWM newsletter, appeal for donations
2007
Box 6: 14.
FCAWM newsletters
2008
Box 6: 15.
FWACM newsletters, drafts, appeal for volunteers
2009
Box 6: 16.
FCAWM newsletter, correspondence, costs
2010
Box 6: 17.
FCAWM newsletters
2010-2011
Box 6: 18.
FCAWM newsletters
2012-2014
Box 6: 19.
FCAWM newsletters
2015-2020
Box 6: 20.
Fliers: general
2006,2008,2018
Box 6: 21.
Frontline
2003 May-2005 Aug
Box 7: 1.
FTC funeral rule, brochure
1996 Dec, 2009 Nov
Box 7: 2.
FTC: grading a GPL, complying with a funeral rule
2014-2015
Box 7: 3.
Fundraising letters
2014-2015
Box 7: 4.
Funeral ethics organization, newsletters, caring for the dead in MA, booklet
2005-2006,2011,2019
Box 7: 5.
How much will my funeral cost? checklist
1995
Box 7: 6.
Insurance forum
1996 Jun
Box 7: 7.
Mass dept. of public health: burial permits
2004 Jul 7
Box 7: 8.
Membership applications
1966,2003
Box 7: 9.
Mortuary management
2002 Mar
Box 7: 10.
National cremation news
2004 May 21
Box 7: 11.
Newsletters from other FCAs, memorial societies
2000-2005
Box 7: 12.
Order form: five wishes pamphlet
2005
Box 7: 13.
Press release, media guides
2002 Apr-2006 Nov
Box 7: 14.
Price surveys
1994-1999
Box 7: 15.
Price Survey, f.h. materials, 1/2, press release
2002
Box 7: 16.
Price survey, f.h. materials, 2/2, disk
2002
Box 7: 17.
Price surey, notes, funeral home list, GPLs
2006
Box 8: 1.
Price survey, GPLs
2008
Box 8: 2.
Price survey: GPL request, draft, price list, media guide
2010
Box 8: 3.
Price survey: draft, list
2012
Box 8: 4.
Price survey: GPL request, price list
2014
Box 8: 5.
Price survey: correspondence, non respondents, methods, price list, articles
2016
Box 8: 6.
Price survey: correspondence, methods, list, re-design
2018
Box 8: 7.
Product catalogs: caskets, urns, correspondence
2005
Box 8: 8.
Service catalog: Czelusniak funeral home
2005
Box 8: 9.
Service catalog: the arbors
2005
Box 8: 10.
Springfield memorial society: mailers, announcements, reports
1964-2001
Box 8: 11.
Springfield memorial society: funeral planning materials
1991 Oct
Box 8: 12.
Website: printouts, proposal, notes, floppy disk
2003
Box 8: 13.
Website: correspondence, stats, guide
2004-2016
Box 8: 14.
Series 3. Clippings and Subject Files
1966-2020
Article: alliance pushes funeral education
2002 Jul 8-Jul 10
Box 9: 1.
Articles, clippings
1998-2000
Box 9: 2.
Articles, clippings
2003 Feb-2004 Nov
Box 9: 3.
Articles, clippings, press release
2006 Oct-2020 Oct
Box 9: 4.
Clippings, brochures from G. Foster
1966-2000
Box 9: 5.
Czelusniak f.h. closure
2011 May
Box 9: 7.
Lepper: letter to the editor, response
1997 Jan 15
Box 9: 8.
Newspaper clippings, contacts
2010
Box 9: 9.
Newspapers: Sunday republican, the recorder
1995-1997
Box 9: 10.
News scrapbook 1/9
1964 Jan-1965 Aug
Box 9: 11.
News scrapbook 2/9
1965 Aug-1967 Sep
Box 9: 12.
News scrapbook 3/9
1967 Oct-1970 Dec
Box 9: 13.
News scrapbook 4/9
1973 Sep-1974 Mar
Box 10: 1.
News scrapbook 5/9
1974 Apr-1974 Oct
Box 10: 2.
News scrapbook 6/9
1974 Oct-1975 Sep
Box 10: 3.
News scrapbook 7/9
1975 Oct-1977 Apr
Box 10: 4.
News scrapbook 8/9
1977 Apr-1977 Dec
Box 10: 5.
News scrapbook 9/9
1977 Dec-1978 Oct
Box 10: 6.
Profile:Carlson, Lisa
1988 Feb 29,1999 Nov
Box 10: 7.
Ryder f.h. closure, lawsuits
2014 May-2016
Box 10: 8.
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- Burial insurance--Massachusetts
- Consumer Protection--Massachusetts
- Death care industry--Massachusetts
- Funeral Homes--Berkshire County (Mass.)
- Funeral Homes--Franklin County (Mass.)
- Funeral Homes--Hampden County (Mass.)
- Funeral Homes--Hampshire County (Mass.)
- Funeral consultants--Massachusetts
- Funeral service--Massachusetts
- Funeral supplies industry--Massachusetts
- Undertakers and undertaking--Massachusetts
- Wake services--Massachusetts
Contributors
- Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts [main entry]
- Ward, Sandra Nichols, 1943-
Genres and formats
- Agendas (administrative records)
- Articles of incorporation
- Audiocassettes
- Booklets
- Brochures
- Bylaws
- CD-ROMs
- Correspondence
- Fliers
- Instructional materials
- Leaflets (printed works)
- Legal correspondence
- Mailing lists
- Membership applications
- Membership lists
- Minutes (administrative records)
- Newsletters
- Newspaper clippings
- Posters
- Price lists
- Procedures (documents)
- Subscription lists
- Surveys (documents)
- Tax records
