Zylpha Hall. Material: paper. Size: 3 1/2" x 5 1/2". Description: sepia photo image of a young woman posed standing with her hands behind her back; identified as Zylpha Hall from Smiths Mill, wearing a dark, long sleeved, high-necked dress with a light colored bodice neckline insert; her hair is worn in a pulled back style and arranged high on from the forehead back to the crown; greeting on reverse, "A Merry Xmas & Happy New Year to all from Zylpha. To Lilah."

Ethel May Cook, Age 9. Material: paper. Size: 3 1/2" x 5 1/2". Description: black and white photo image of a nine-year old girl identified as Ethel May Cook, daughter of Lucy Hall Cook; she is posed standing in a studio setting facing away from the camera to display her very long dark hair that extends to below her waistline and is topped with a large white ribbon at the crown; she is wearing a very full knee-length white dress with elbow length ruffled sleeves and large collar; a wicker seat is ... more

Local Sawmill. Material: paper. Size: 5" x 7". Description: sepia, glossy photo image of a steam-driven sawmill in operation; in view are large logs, several sawmill workers, steam engines and piles of smaller branches; identified on reverse as "Dad's saw mill either at Smiths Mill or St. Clair."

Chase's Lumber Mill at Smiths Mill. Material: paper. Size: 6" x 8" photo mounted on 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" paste board. Description: sepia colored photo showing a large sawmill; in view are stacks of logs, teams of horses hitched to wagons and sledges, several mill workers, a large saw platform and a tall chimney; identified on the reverse as "Jim and Charley Chase's Lumber Mill at Smiths Mill."

Sinking of the Lusitania Painting by Thomas Savage. Material: textile, wood. Size: 23 1/2" x 31". Description: muted colors painted on canvas by the artist depict the historic event, "The Sinking of the Lusitania" with images of a listing ship, life boats, and passengers that are floundering in the ocean water; narrow wooden unfinished book frame; signed by artist in lower right corner, "T. Savage 1918. From London Sphere." Reverse side information penciled on the canvas, "Lusitania, The Lusitan ... more

Sommers Family Information

Summers Family Information

Once Upon a Time Yesterday. Material: paper, plastic, metal. Size: 10 1/2" x 12". Description: black vinyl three-ring album, white title page enclosed in transparent sleeve, includes title, green handwritten author's name and aerial photo of the Blooming Grove Creamery and surrounding property. Contents: 85 numbered pages of Meshke family and Blooming Grove area memories especially of growing up in the 1940s and 1950s in rural Minnesota; experiences in rural schools, foods, and family life, plus ... more

Membership Record Book of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Vivian. Material: paper, textile, metal. Size: 6" x 9". Description: dark hard cover reenforced with heavy red corners and spine; metal spine lock for removal of pages; produced by Rev. A. Baebenroth of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Contents: preprinted forms used to record church member names and records of birth, baptism, confirmation, communion participation and death; records cease in 1944.

Membership Record Book of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Vivian. Material: paper, textile. Size: 5 1/2" x 12". Description: brown hard cover reenforced with heavy red corners. Contents: preprinted pages used to record church member names and records of birth, baptism, confirmation, communion participation and death; records cease in 1901. Pastor Rev. A. Mueller.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, Vivian Township Annual Meeting Minutes. Material: paper. Size: 8" x 10". Description: black hard cover secretary's notebook reinforced with red corners and spine; contents include handwritten German minutes of annual meetings until 1945.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, Vivian Township Member Register Book. Material: paper. Size: 10 1/2" x 16". Description: black hard cover, reinforced black corners; membership role with birthdates, baptismal records beginning in 1906, marriage records beginning in 1905, communion registrant dates, death records beginning in 1907, church chronicle pages written in German; note written January 7, 1945 records that in a unanimous vote by membership they agreed to end this ch ... more

Cemetery Records St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, Vivian Township. File includes correspondence from the Owatonna Granite Works, Iversen & Patton Law Office, Cemetery Abstract Map, William and Louise Lewer Warranty Deed Record to the Trustees of the German Lutheran St. John's Congregation of Vivian, Waseca County, Minnesota.

Put Spice in Your Life Booklet. Material: paper. Size: 4 1/2" x 7". Description: multi colored glossy soft cover booklet; cover title, "Put Spice in Your Life"; 28 pages containing short inspirational stories that were used by Dr. Frederick in the over 1,000 presentations he made to many groups including 4-H, FFA and other Rural Youth groups that were meant to inspire and motivate those in his audience.

Open House Invitation: The Hofmann Apiaries. Material: paper. Size: 5" x 7". Description: sepia card stock mailer; front vintage photo of the Hofmann Apiaries showing the honey production buildings with dozens of bee hives in the foreground; red square Waseca County History Center logo in upper left hand corner; printed across the top, "The Hofmann Apiaries, Janesville, Minnesota 1903-1985"; lower page print, "Invitation to Celebrate the opening of Hofmann Apiaries"; reverse side details of the ... more

New Richland Normal Teacher Training Class of 1929. Material: paper. Size: 3 1/2" x 4". Description: black and white snapshot of eight women seated on a sofa in a residential living room; reunion of the 1929 New Richland Normal Training class; some of those in attendance may be Olive Ausen Nordeen, Eunice Murphy Amberg Severin, Mildred Brandvold Johnson, Rozella Buscho Redman, Dorothy Crumb Bungarden, Mabel Bathke Cole, Edna Olson Hebl and Catherine Dunn Meschke.

Eunice Murphy and Friend. Material: paper. Size: 3" x 4 1/2". Description: black and white snapshot of two young women posed arm in arm, wearing fashionable fur-trimmed winter coats and Mary Jane shoes of the 1920s era; one is wearing a cloche hat; they are standing on a sidewalk with a white shed in the background; the two young women may be classmates of the New Richland Normal Training Class of 1929. Photo from the Eunice Murphy Amberg Severin collection.

Sacred Heart High School Girls Class of 1928. Material: paper. Size: 3" x 4 1/2". Description: black and white snapshot of ten young women huddled around a large tree trunk, posing for their photo. Photo from the Eunice Murphy Amberg Severin collection. They may be the women of the Waseca Sacred Heart High School Class of 1928.

Sacred Heart High School Class of 1928 Portraits. Material: paper. Size: 3" x 4 1/2". Description: black and white photo image of individual oval portraits of seventeen young men and women; the portraits are arranged in four rows around a center caption, "S.H.H.S."; photographer identified a lower edge of page, "Photo by Lewis". One of these students is Eunice Murphy.

Waseca County Rural School, Classmates and Teacher. Material: paper. Size: 7" x 10". Description: black and white photo showing eight young children seated at their desks in a one-room school; young woman teacher, probably Eunice Murphy Amberg (Severin) is standing in the background; caption on photo, "Waseca Co. Nov. 25, 1953, PD675." Photo is mounted in a heavy card stock folder with a red front cover graphic of children playing leapfrog, a school house and the title, "School Days"; inside fro ... more

Janesville Jennison House. Material: paper. Size: 3 1/2" x 5". Description: black and white snapshot of a late 1900s three-story gabled house built in the Victorian era style by the Jennison Family in Janesville, Minnesota; located at 305 E. First St., Old Highway 14; the house faces the north.

Anna Jacobs. Material: paper. Size: 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". Description: sepia portrait of a young woman with her hair curled low over her forehead; the hairstyle appears to be that of a rolled bob, a fad of the post-World War I era; she is wearing a middy blouse with a sailor collar accessorized with a dark scarf tied over dress bodice; identified as Anna Jacobs, a graduate of New Richland High School in about 1919.

Ella and Hilma Sybilrud. Material: paper. Size: 3" x 4". Description: sepia portrait of a two young women posed seated side by side wearing dark colored dressed and hairstyles of the early 1920s that appear to be that of a rolled bob, a fad of the post-World War I era; New Richland, Minnesota residents.

Hannah Nelson . Material: paper. Size: 2 1/2: x 4 1/2". Description: sepia portrait of a young woman with a 1920s hairstyle that appears to be that of a rolled bob and curled bangs worn low on the forehead, a fad of the post-World War I era; she is wearing a white middy blouse with a sailor collar with a dark tie; New Richland High School graduate.

Cora Pierce . Material: paper. Size: 2 1/2: x 4 1/2". Description: sepia portrait of a young woman with a 1920s hairstyle that appears to be that of a rolled bob and curled bangs worn low on the forehead, a fad of the post-World War I era; she is wearing a light colored dress; she is posed in profile with her face turned slightly towards the camera; a New Richland High School graduate.