A hodgepodge of materials pertaining to the family of Jacob Christophel, a Mennonite immigrant to Elkhart County Indiana in 1818 and one of the founders of Yellow Creek Mennonite Church.
Assorted papers associated with Fannie Baumgartner Kauffman's (1867-1936) parents, Johannes (John) Baumgartner (1823-1904, emigrated from Alsace in 1856) and Verena (Fannie) Amstutz Baumgartner (1829-1873, emigrated from Alsace circa 1855). These include manuscripts of song lyrics, genealogical information, church letters, copy books, an account book / weather diary, and correspondence. The collection also contains a few items created by Fannie Baumgartner Kauffman and her husband, Henry M. Kauffman, including handwritten prayers, ephemera, and correspondence. Typewritten transcriptions are available for many of the German handwritten documents.
Photocopies and transcriptions of German-language land tenancy contracts for two Swiss men. Also includes a photocopy and transcription of a letter complaint by another Swiss man, Johannes Gräbe.
The papers of Vernon and Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander primarily document relief and service work to Russian Mennonite refugees after World War II. Materials include correspondence, poems, testimonies, and songs by Russian Mennonite refugees, reports and correspondence pertaining to Mennonite Central Committee relief work in the Netherlands and Paraguay, a diary kept by Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander during her Europen relief work, correspondence between Vernon and Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander, and a well-labeled photograph album documenting Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander's relief and service work. Other materials include records of Vernon Neuschwander's Civilian Public Service work, family and genealogical materials, Evangeline's writing and reminiscences, and miscellaneous materials.
The collection primarily includes materials and correspondence related to Rosemary Wyse Reimer's work with refugees in Northern Indiana, as well as correspondence with Mennonite World Conference.
Miscellaneous documents accumulated by Harry Symensma, a Mennonite immigrant from Balk (Friesland, Netherlands) and member of the Mennonite (Dunkard) church in Union Township (presumably Elkhart County), Indiana, and his son, Henry Symensma, of New Paris, Indiana. Materials include property tax and other reciepts, real estate assessments, a letter from John F. Funk offering condolences to Henry Symensma, and Dutch militia documents.
Contains the personal papers of a denominational leader who served as pastor, evangelist, Hesston College President (1932-1951), and early advocate of Christian stewardship education in the Mennonite Church. The collection is arranged by series and includes correspondence, copies of writings and speeches, sermon notes, and materials related to two book projects on Christian stewardship.
The collection includes handwritten Amish-Mennonite sermons from Christian Lehmann, who was a minister of a Mennonite congregation in Saarburg, France. In addition, the collection includes translations of most of these materials into English by John Umble from 1959-1960.
Emma Oyer’s collection contains many of her writings, including essays, poetry, and her diaries. Her work as a Home Missionary is well documented in her diaries, which provide brief summaries of her daily activities. While these diaries do not document her entire life, her earliest years are represented at the Mennonite Home Mission, as well as her latter years as an author and essayist. Her essays and poetry provide insights into her theology and faith. Also included is a 1951 edition of Missionary Sewing Circle Monthly dedicated to Emma Oyer, with eight tributes to her by Mennonite women.
Personal papers created by Lydia Oyer, an early leader in Mennonite nursing education. The collection consists primarily of diaries Oyer kept throughout her years as a nurse practitioner, with very brief records on patients, personal activities, and the weather. The scrapbook contains photos, news clippings, and notes from friends, classmates, and teachers from her time at the Mennonite Hospital School of Nursing in La Junta, Colorado. Other writings include essays on religious topics and a poem.
This collection contains information about Rhea B. Yoder (1898-1992), a teacher in the Midwest and at Woodstock, Northern India. In the collection there are materials from her schooling, her college speeches, journals from her time in India, and recollections of her upbringing. There is also a photograph album containing pictures from her childhood and time at Goshen. Her speeches at Goshen College provide an example of an individual on the liberal side of the (old) Mennonite church schism that led to the closing of Goshen College in 1923-1924.