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Scrapbooks

 Sub-Series
Identifier: Sub- 3

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Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Edythe Stirlen papers measure 4 linear feet and date from 1930 to 1987. The papers are arranged in three series: Biographical information, Radiobroadcasts and Printed materials. They document one woman's work as a broadcast minister from the early days of radio to the 1980s. There is very little on her life outside of radio.

Biographical information (1934-1940, 1975-1980 and undated) contains some correspondence to Stirlen including a telegram informing Stirlen of her father's death as well as a memofrom Earl May explaining why her program had been moved from one time slot to another. Additional newspaper articlesabout Stirlen and five scrapbooks, two of which commemorate her fiftieth year on the radio in 1975 with cards and letters from her fans are included.

The Radio broadcasts (1940-1975 and undated), which form a large part of the collection, are comprised mainly of Stirlen's typewritten sermons spanning over three decades. Each volume of the sermons was originally housed in a binder, some with an index. Some of the earlier sermons are mixed in with later ones, signifying that Stirlen re-used them. However, she kept careful track of when to use each sermon, as evidenced by her Schedule of sermons, 1971-1975. In the second folder of 1940-1942, volume 2, there are instructions and diagrams on how to conduct a wedding. A taped broadcast on audiocassette dates from November 15, 1974 on KFNF and lasts approximately thirty minutes.

Also included in the Radio broadcasts series are the prayers and birthday and anniversary announcements Stirlen read on the air.

S.O.S (Send Out Sunshine) Signal, the magazine that Stirlen began in 1935 to reach out to her listeners, is the main part of Printed materials (1939-1981 and undated). The four Bibles are personal copies of Stirlen's and contain clipped poems, cards, photographs, and bookmarks. In one of the Bibles is a photograph of the group she took to Jerusalem in 1972 as well as the text she used for wedding ceremonies.

The two books that Stirlen wrote, From the Land of the Tumbleweed: Tales of my Childhood (1978) and The Little Minister's Devotional Selection (1978) are also included in Printed materials. The Promotional postcards and calendars show Stirlen and her family in various years, putting a human face to the voice for many of her listeners. Recipes and remedy includes published recipe pamphlets and a homemade folk remedy for rheumatism.

Dates

  • Creation: 1930-1987

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 4.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the Iowa Women's Archives Repository

Contact:
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5068
319-335-5900 (Fax)