The Arlene Gardner Hall papers date from ca. 1912-1999 and measure 10 linear inches. The papers are arranged in three series: Biographical Information, Photographs,and Diaries. The collection focuses on the activities of a rural, working woman of the twentieth century and the details of her daily life and relationships. The majority of the collection consists of Hall's personal diaries from the early 1930s to 1995, which document a youthful courtship; three marriages--one apparently abusive, one long and happy, one very short; the raising of her daughter and the ensuing estrangement between them; the relationship between Hall and her own mother, both of whom had three husbands and worked as housekeepers and washerwomen; the particular aspects of daily life in rural southern Iowa; as well as almost fifteen years of life in a home for the elderly.

The Biographical Information series consists of photocopies of obituaries, eulogies, and funeral programs relating to Arlene Hall and her family. There is also a letter containing some genealogical information. Included in this series are handwritten obituaries by both Arlene Hall and John Hall.

The Photographs series (ca. 1912-1997?) consists of twenty black and white photographs depicting Arlene Hall and her family. The portraits range from Hall as a young child in Blythedale, Missouri to Hall as an older woman in the Health Care Center in Mt. Ayr, Iowa. They also include images of Hall's parents, her daughter Ruby, her second husband John Hall, her third husband Frank Porter, and other relatives.

The Diaries series (1930s-1995) consists of thirteen journals written by Arlene Hall. Most cover a period of two to five years and have daily entries. Hall also supplemented her entries, at times, with newspaper clippings, population and weather statistics for the area, and lists of local marriages and deaths.

The 1930s diary documents a youthful courtship with Vernon Lloyd Arnold. It gives details on each date: where they went, how much money was spent, and what time they got home. This diary provides a glimpse into what courtship was like in rural Iowa in the 1930s.

The 1934 diary documents a year of marriage to Ralph Hopkins, during which Hall was caring for her baby daughter and working in several Mt. Ayr homes.

The diaries from the period 1941-1959 concern Hall's marriage to John Hall, her daughter Ruby's adolescence and marriage, and daily events in Hall's Mt. Ayr working life.

The diaries from the period 1960-1969 document the deaths of both John Hall and Frank Porter, in addition to the estrangement of Arlene Hall from her daughter Ruby. Throughout these diaries, Hall talks often of her own mother and their relationship.

The diaries from the period 1985-1995 record Hall's daily life in the Health Care Center in Mt. Ayr. This record is valuable in giving a sense of what life was like in a nursing home in the late twentieth century. Hall describes both her daily activities and her state of mind in these entries.

An undated notebook, probably from the late 1920s,consists of poems and lyrics written in Hall's hand. Titles from this notebook include "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde Parker," "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," "Rich and Racy," and "Closing Out Public Sale." Full of irony, wit, and patriotism, they seem to give a sense of the popular culture of the time.