Maas Funeral Home Records, 1900-1954

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: Maas Funeral Home

Title: Records, 1900-1954

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection: 9 volumes

Location Number: Mss./BB/M111

Scope and Content Note

The Maas Funeral Home Records consist of records of financial interest to the Maas Funeral Home. These records document the expenses and profits associated with operating a funeral home in mid-twentieth century Louisville, Kentucky, as well as funeral practices for that time and region.

Volumes one through five consist of funeral books for the years 1914-1954. These volumes list the name of the deceased, the name of the person paying for the funeral services, age of the deceased, their physician, the primary cause of their death, date of death, date of burial, and various costs associated with the funeral service such as style of casket, style of mountings, cost of a robe or suit, moving the body, under clothes, washing, dressing, shaving, embalming, flowers, door garlands, death notices, purchase of a vault or box, hearse, cars, services of a minister, flower wagon, purchase of a lot or grave, opening of the grave, candles, and the place of internment. This volume is arranged chronologically, approximately by date of death.

Volume six is a different format of funeral book arranged roughly by surname of deceased. It covers the years 1900-1929 and lists the name of the deceased, the name of the person paying for the service, the date of death, and the date of burial.

Volumes seven through nine consist of accounts receivable books for the years 1915-1922 and 1930-1943. These are arranged roughly by surname of the individual paying for the service, provide the address of that individual, and list the amounts of debits and credits to the account by date. The name of the deceased is not provided.

Historical Note

The Maas Funeral Home was organized in 1894 by John Maas in partnership with his brother Bernard. The firm was located at 556 East Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky for twelve years and subsequently moved to 300 East Broadway where it remained for over fifty years. The Maas Funeral Home closed in the mid 1960s after the death of president Stanley H. Maas, son of John Maas.

Folder List

Volume 1: Funeral Book, 1914 May-1918 January

Volume 2: Funeral Book, 1918 January-1925 May

Volume 3: Funeral Book, 1925 June-1932 November

Volume 4: Funeral Book, 1932 December-1942 December

Volume 5: Funeral Book, 1943 January-1954

Volume 6: Funeral Book by Surname, 1900-1929

Volume 7: Accounts Receivable Book, 1915-1922

Volume 8: Accounts Receivable Book, 1930-1937

Volume 9: Accounts Receivable Book, 1938-1943

Subject Headings

Account books – Kentucky – Louisville

Business enterprises – Kentucky – Louisville

Death care industry – Kentucky – Louisville

Funeral homes – Kentucky – Louisville

Funeral rites and ceremonies – Kentucky – Louisville