Diaries of Girls and Women: A Midwestern American Sampler (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)

Diaries of Girls and Women captures and preserves the diverse lives of forty-seven girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin between 1837 and 1999—young schoolgirls, adolescents coming of age, newlywed wives, mothers grieving the loss of children, teachers, nurses, elderly women, Luxembourger immigrant nuns, and women traveling abroad. A compelling work of living history, it brings together both diaries from historical society archives and diaries still in possession of the diarists or their descendents. Editor Suzanne L. Bunkers has selected these excerpts from more than 450 diaries she examined. Some diaries were kept only briefly, others through an entire lifetime; some diaries are the intensely private record of a life, others tell the story of an entire family and were meant to be saved and appreciated by future generations. By approaching diaries as historical documents, therapeutic tools, and a form of literature, Bunkers offers readers insight into the self-images of girls and women, the dynamics of families and communities, and the kinds of contributions that girls and women have made, past and present. As a representation of the girls and women of varied historical eras, locales, races, and economic circumstances who settled and populated the Midwest, Diaries of Girls and Women adds texture and pattern to the fabric of American history. Contents 8 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 18 1. American Girls 56 Sarah Gillespie Huftalen, 1877–1879 57 Mary Griffith, 1880 73 Etta Luella Call, 1881–1882 79 Polly Caroline Bullard, 1897 93 Marjorie L. Bullard, 1897–1898 104 Elspeth Close, 1918 111 Kimberly Bunkers, 1992–1993 123 Kelly Lynn Bunkers, 1996–1997 128 Megan Kennedy, 1994–1999 132 Megan Kesselring, 1998–1999 135 Alena Johnson, 1999 142 Mary Madigan, 1999 146 Rachel Bunkers-Harmes, 1999 149 2. Coming of Age 156 Sarah Jane Kimball, 1854–1862 157 Addie Tripp, 1864 170 Margaret Vedder Holdredge, 1865 179 Ada L. James, 1895–1902 187 Gertrude Cairns, 1896–1898 201 Dorothea Barland, 1903 215 Pauline C. Petersen, 1907–1908 223 Edythe M. Miller, 1911 237 Martha Furgerson Nash, 1947 247 3. Journeys 262 Sarah K. Pratt, 1844 263 Isabella McKinnon, 1852 273 Emily Quiner, 1863 280 Jane F. Grout, 1873 288 Agnes Barland McDaniel, 1923 299 Alice Gortner Johnson, 1933 309 Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler, 1936–1937 316 Ruth Van Horn Zuckerman, 1967 325 4. Home, Work, Family 335 Eliza and J. Talmai Hamilton Family, 1837–1851 336 Lucinda and Edward Holton Family, 1845–1904 339 School Sisters of Notre Dame, 1865–1894 343 Antoinette Porter King, 1866–1868 353 Jennie Blair Andrews, 1876–1877 368 Martha Smith Brewster, 1876–1879 374 Abbie T. Griffin, 1882–1885 380 Maria Morton Merrill, 1890–1899 391 Maranda J. Cline, 1906–1907 405 Lillian Stephens Carpenter, 1934 409 Ruby Butler Ahrens, 1942 415 Maud Hart Lovelace, 1953–1955 419 Sisters of St. Francis (OSF), 1962–1973 428 Carol Johnson, 1984 438 Juanita Anderson Ahrens, 1992 445 Sandra K. Gens, 1992 450 Afterword 457 Archival Sources 462 Bibliography 467 1. American Girls -- Sarah Gillespie Huftalen, 1877-1879 -- Mary Griffith, 1880 -- Etta Luella Call, 1881-1882 -- Polly Caroline Bullard, 1897 -- Marjorie L. Bullard, 1897-1898 -- Elspeth Close, 1918 -- Kimberly Bunkers, 1992-1993 -- Kelly Lynn Bunkers, 1996-1997 -- Megan Kennedy, 1994-1999 -- Megan Kesselring, 1998-1999 -- Alena Johnson, 1999 -- Mary Madigan, 1999 -- Rachel Bunkers-harmes, 1999 -- 2. Coming Of Age -- Sarah Jane Kimball, 1854-1862 -- Addie Tripp, 1864 -- Margaret Vedder Holdredge, 1865 -- Ada L. James, 1895-1902 -- Gertrude Cairns, 1896-1898 -- Dorothea Barland, 1903 -- Pauline C. Petersen, 1907-1908 -- Edythe M. Miller, 1911 -- Martha Furgerson Nash, 1947 -- 3. Journeys -- Sarah K. Pratt, 1844 -- Isabella Mckinnon, 1852 -- Emily Quiner, 1863 -- Jane F. Grout, 1873 -- Agnes Barland Mcdaniel, 1923 -- Alice Gortner Johnson, 1933 -- Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler, 1936-1937 -- Ruth Van Horn Zuckerman, 1967 -- 4. Home, Work, Family -- Eliza And J. Talmai Hamilton Family, 1837-1851 -- Lucinda And Edward Holton Family, 1845-1904 -- School Sisters Of Notre Dame, 1865-1894 -- Antoinette Porter King, 1866-1868 -- Jennie Blair Andrews, 1876-1877 -- Martha Smith Brewster, 1876-1879 -- Abbie T. Griffin, 1882-1885 -- Maria Morton Merrill, 1890-1899 -- Maranda J. Cline, 1906-1907 -- Lillian Stephens Carpenter, 1934 -- Ruby Butler Ahrens, 1942 -- Maud Hart Lovelace, 1953-1955 -- Sisters Of St. Francis (osf), 1962-1973 -- Carol Johnson, 1984 -- Juanita Anderson Ahrens, 1992 -- Sandra K. Gens, 1992. Edited By Suzanne L. Bunkers. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 452-457). __Diaries of Girls and Women__ captures and preserves the diverse lives of forty-seven girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin between 1837 and 1999—young schoolgirls, adolescents coming of age, newlywed wives, mothers grieving the loss of children, teachers, nurses, elderly women, Luxembourger immigrant nuns, and women traveling abroad. A compelling work of living history, it brings together both diaries from historical society archives and diaries still in possession of the diarists or their descendents. Editor Suzanne L. Bunkers has selected these excerpts from more than 450 diaries she examined. Some diaries were kept only briefly, others through an entire lifetime; some diaries are the intensely private record of a life, others tell the story of an entire family and were meant to be saved and appreciated by future generations. By approaching diaries as historical documents, therapeutic tools, and a form of literature, Bunkers offers readers insight into the self-images of girls and women, the dynamics of families and communities, and the kinds of contributions that girls and women have made, past and present. As a representation of the girls and women of varied historical eras, locales, races, and economic circumstances who settled and populated the Midwest, __Diaries of Girls and Women__ adds texture and pattern to the fabric of American history. Using the diaries (some kept only briefly, others through an entire lifetime) of girls and women who lived in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin between 1837 and 1999, this work offers an insight into the self-images of girls and women and the dynamics of families through recent history.