The Birth of the Marinette County Employee’s Credit Union

On November 29, 1955, a representative of the Wisconsin Credit Union League met with a group of county employees to assist them in making application for a credit union charter.  The Articles of Incorporation and the By-Laws, which allowed any employee or elected official of Marinette County to be eligible for membership in the Credit Union were drafted and submitted to Madison for approval.

The following information was obtained from the
Welcome Address given at the 1966 Annual Meeting.

On August 23, 1956, the Marinette County Employee’s Credit Union was organized under the leadership of the Wisconsin Credit Union League.  The individuals who were responsible for organizing the Credit Union and their position with Marinette County at the time were:

MCECU’s first Board of Directors consisted of Erwin Aubert, W.J. Ganter, Clayton Lee, Earl Staffeldt, Bernard Stehle, Harry White and Fay Wood.  Fern Carlson, Ruth Kaufman and Lewis Meunier were elected to the Credit Committee.

The first meeting of the Board of Directors was held on August 24, 1956 with Bernard Stehle elected President; Harry White, Vice-President; Earl Staffeldt, Secretary and Fay Wood, Treasurer.

Since its inception, various Boards of Directors have taken steps to help Credit Union membership grow by increasing the base from which its potential members can work.  To that end on February 25, 1958, the Board voted to revise its By-Laws to accept elected officials and employees of the City of Marinette and their families.

Then on November 20, 1991 at the request of various post office employees, the Board of Directors voted to revise the By-Laws again to accept into membership the employees of the Marinette Post Office and their families.

Because of legislation passed in Madison in 1998 the Board of Directors was required to revise the Credit Union By-Laws.  The membership listing contained in previous By-Laws did not specifically include the employees of the Marinette Public School System.  In order to clarify the membership listing which was included in the new By-Laws a letter was drafted which in part read as follows:

Prior to 1983, all elementary and secondary public school teachers and other workers in the school system were employees of the City of Marinette.  In 1983, the laws of the State of Wisconsin changed and schools in the State became part of unified school districts.  Those individuals who had previously been City employees became employees of the Marinette School District.  We contend that these employees and all future employees are a part of our field of membership.

In 1985, our Bylaws were once again amended to clarify the inclusion of the M&M Health Care Center.  Prior to 1985, the M&M Health Care Center was known as Marinette General Hospital and was owned and operated by Marinette County.  On September 17 1985, Marinette County signed a lease with M&M Health Care Corporation to lease the County Hospital.  The facility is now known as Bay Area Medical Center and Marinette County continues to lease it to the M&M Health Care Corporation.  Because all employees of the hospital were originally County employees, we contend that these individuals and all those newly hired are also a part of our field of membership.

The last change to our field of membership came in 2002 when employees of the Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, Transportation, Revenue and Corrections; Wisconsin State Patrol (Marinette); Social Security Administration; U.S. National Guard (Marinette); US Department of Agriculture; UW Marinette; Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Marinette; US Coast Guard (Marinette); and the Marinette Job Center were added.

Today, the field of membership for the Marinette County Employee’s Credit Union includes any employees or elected official of Marinette County or the City of Marinette; any employee of the Marinette Public School system; any employee of the United State Post Office or the US Postal Service of the City of Marinette; any employees of Marinette/Menominee Clinic-Aurora Medical Group; and any employee of the Bay Area Medical Center Marinette/Menominee facilities, employees of the Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, Transportation, Revenue and Corrections; Wisconsin State Patrol (Marinette); Social Security Administration; U.S. National Guard (Marinette); US Department of Agriculture; UW Marinette; Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Marinette; US Cost Guard (Marinette); and the Marinette Job Center and employees of this credit union; and members of the immediate family of any qualified persons.