diff --git a/members/models.py b/members/models.py
index e699b1c..9af8097 100644
--- a/members/models.py
+++ b/members/models.py
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ class Member(models.Model):
 
     @classmethod
     def create_from_dict(cls,d):
+        mbr = cls()
+        mbr.update_from_dict(d)
+        return mbr.get_dict()
+
+    def update_from_dict(self,d):
         dmap = {
             'first_name': 'first_name',
             'last_name': 'last_name',
@@ -33,14 +38,12 @@ class Member(models.Model):
             'AYY': 'AYY',
             'jas': 'jas',
         }
-        mbr = cls()
         for k,v in d.items():
             try:
-                mbr.__setattr__(dmap[k],v)
+                self.__setattr__(dmap[k],v)
             except KeyError:
                 pass
-        mbr.save()
-        return mbr.get_dict()
+        self.save()
 
     def __str__(self):
         return "{} {}".format(first_name, last_name)
diff --git a/members/views.py b/members/views.py
index 6b63d88..4d00fd7 100644
--- a/members/views.py
+++ b/members/views.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from django.shortcuts import render, get_object_or_404
-from django.http import HttpResponse
+from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpResponseBadRequest
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from members.models import Member
 import json
@@ -12,14 +12,32 @@ def members(request, *args, **kwargs):
     return HttpResponse(json.dumps(mems))
 
 def member(request,*args, **kwargs):
-    if request.method == 'GET':
+
+    #get and put together since both operate on existing objects and return one object
+    if request.method in ['GET','PUT']:
+        # get object by id or give 404
         idx = kwargs.pop("idx", None)
-        mem = get_object_or_404(Member, pk=idx)
+        try:
+            Member.objects.get(pk=idx)
+        except Member.DoesNotExist:
+            resp = HttpResponse('{"error":"object not found"}')
+            resp.status_code = 404
+            return resp
+
+
+        # update model if request type was PUT
+        if request.method == 'PUT':
+            try:
+                data = json.loads(request.body.decode("utf-8"))
+                mem.update_from_dict(data)
+            except ValueError:
+                return HttpResponseBadRequest('{"error" : "Invalid parameters supplied"}')
         return HttpResponse(json.dumps(mem.get_dict()))
+
     if request.method == 'POST':
         try:
             data = json.loads(request.body.decode("utf-8"))
             memdict = Member.create_from_dict(data)
             return HttpResponse(json.dumps(memdict))
         except ValueError:
-            raise ValidationError("Invalid parameters supplied")
+            return HttpResponseBadRequest('{"error" : "Invalid parameters supplied"}')