Arlene Gardner Hall papers

Collection

Identifier: IWA0411

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

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.

Dates

Creation: 1912-1999

Creator

Hall, Arlene Gardner, 1908-1999 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred in part to The University of Iowa.

However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

Arlene Ivie Graham, the only child of John and Lena May Graham, was born on June 6, 1908 in Blythedale, Missouri. In 1923, Arlene Graham and her mother moved to a farm south of Mt. Ayr, Iowa. Married and widowed three times throughout her life, Arlene Graham's main relationships were with her daughter and her mother.

Described by the donor (her cousin Linda Smith) as an "everyday woman" with an eighth-grade education, Arlene Graham worked as a housekeeper and washerwoman in several Mt. Ayr homes while raising a daughter. The majority of her days were spent busy with domestic chores. Several of her clients were lawyers and judges of Ringgold County; they helped Graham through her divorce and with raising Ruby.

Arlene Graham's first marriage occurred in 1931. She married Ralph Hopkins; they had one child, Ruby Kathleen Hopkins. This marriage was apparently an abusive one; the donor described Arlene Hopkins during this time as a "battered wife." After divorcing Ralph Hopkins, Arlene Hopkins married John Henry Hall in 1936. This union was a happier one; after the death of her third husband, Arlene Hall kept her second husband's name for the rest of her life. John Hall worked as a barber in Mt. Ayr. In 1949, Arlene, John, and Ruby Hall joined the Baptist Church. John Hall died in 1960. In 1962, Arlene Hall married Frank Porter, who passed away in 1963. I

n her later years, after Frank Porter's death, Arlene Hall sold greeting cards and Avon supplies to supplement her income. In 1985, Arlene Hall entered the Health Care Center in Mt. Ayr, where she resided until her death in 1999. There, she was known for her love of a good card game and for the thoughtful greeting cards she sent. Arlene Hall was not close to her daughter during her last years.