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The collection has two distinct groups of materials. The larger group is the papers of Cornelius Frey. These papers contain a wide variety of materials, but the most significant is the extensive correspondence. There are letters from many of the leading Mennonites of his time, such as missionaries H. R. Voth and J. B. Frey (Cornelius’ brother), Oklahoma leader Michael Klaassen, and even a few European Mennonites such as Christian Neff. Among the other important materials are Bethanian Church records, a large group of pamphlets and printed matter, and some political materials. These political items are election records and census materials for West Branch Township, Marion County, for the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. These records provide a bit of first-hand evidence for the extent of Mennonite interest and involvement in politics at this time. The collection also contains quite a bit of personal materials such as diaries, financial records, and school materials. An interesting item in the school materials is the minutes of the Grünfeld Literary and Song Society for 1890. The papers of A. J. Frey, the other group of materials in this collection, consist almost entirely of genealogical materials. Frey collected all kinds of records and reminiscences in his genealogical research. These materials would be extremely important to the family histories of persons connected with the Alexanderwohl and Tabor churches. Also in A. J. Frey’s materials is a volume of Mennonite Aid Plan minutes, 1897-1960. Appendix: The materials in this addition to the collection are generally similar to the first part of the collection, consisting most importantly of correspondence, genealogy records, and Coy, Oklahoma, historical records. In addition, the appendix contains a small amount of correspondence and other material of family members other than Arthur J. or Cornelius Frey. They are: John Becker (1870-1968) and Eva Frey Becker (1880-1960), Eva sister of Cornelius Benjamin C. Frey (1895-1960), son of Cornelius Eva Balzer (Henry) Frey (1873-1936), sister-in-law of Cornelius Helena Schmidt (Cornelius) Frey (1870-1934), wife of Cornelius John B. Frey (1882-1942) and Sarah Unruh Frey (1885-1967), John brother of Cornelius Maria Wedel (Benjamin) Frey (1843-1934), mother of Cornelius Sara Elizabeth Frey (Paul G.) Schmidt (1898-1974), daughter of Cornelius Maria Ann Frey (McLoren) Temple (1906-), daughter of Cornelius

from a typed note in box 1: “The Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites Settling in Kansas 1874-1974, Jacob D. Goering.     “The information contained in these files was collected on 32 of the original 62 families of the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites who immigrated from Russia in 1874 and settled at Moundridge, kansas. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of generational drift among the descendants of this group of people from generation to generation on four variables: 1. Geographic location; 2. Occupation; 3. Religious affiliation; and 4. Educational attainment.     “In most instances a separate information sheet exists for each adult. These are organized generation by generation and family unit by family unit. In addition to the four items mentioned above, these sheets usually contain information on date of birth and death, avocational interests, marital status, and occasionally even anecdotal material. The latter are not complete, however. A summary sheet on each of the immigrant families on which data were obtained is enclosed with the raw data in each envelope.     “Similar summaries could probably be made on the remaining 30 or so families from the data since the inter-familial linkage (intermarriage) was so extensive.     “A summary article based on these data was submitted to the Kansas Journal of Sociology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, and it is expected that it will appear in the June 1974 issue.”

box 1: correspondence 1-W work church merger (Hillsboro) catechism - Beatrice and Hillsboro seminary papers Mississippi Delta Ministers Project Report 1965 other Hillsboro files peace subject file church and state subject file clippings sermon notes Kansas Council of Churches retreats and recreation interview notes by Robert Kreider

box 2: card index of sermons sermons and related files

box 3: sermons (numbered)

box 4: sermons and misc. sermon-related files

sermons

diaries and account books

Correspondence, sermons?, printed matter

Used to be called a “Harder family collection,” because it includes papers from the extended family, but Johann Harder seems to be more or less the central person.