Alma Marie Kouba Kress papers

Collection

Identifier: IWA0405

Staff Only
Please navigate to collection organization to place requests.

Scope and Contents

The Alma Kress papers date from 1925 to 2006 and measure three linear inches. The papers are arranged in four folders: Teaching Documents, Quasqueton Federated Garden Club, Happy Hour Club, and Personal Calendars.

The Teaching documents pertain to Alma Kress' teaching career and include transcripts from her education at Coe College(1924-1926), State of Iowa teaching certificates (1925-1968), and teaching contracts from Independence and Rowley Schools (1957-1973).

The Quasqueton Federated Garden Club folder contains club programs for the years 1986-1987. Each program is approximately 35 pages long and lists the clubs members and the activities planned for the year.

The Happy Hour Club folder documents the activities of a small social club in Buchanan County. The club met the first Wednesday of each month, and strove to promote cultural advancement and social activity among married women in Cono Township. The series contains programs from scattered years between 1963 and 1995 and an undated copy of the group's constitution and by-laws. The programs detail the officers and members of the group, along with the planned activities of the group for the year.

The Personal calendars are two two-year calendars that Kress used to document appointments and other personal data. The 1976-1978 calendar includesshort descriptions of daily activities from a trip to the Western United States and Kress' notes on religion and peace. The 1978-1980 calendar documents meeting times and appointments through the year 1979.

Dates

Creation: 1925-2006

Creator

Kress, Alma Marie Kouba, 1908-2006 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred 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

Alma Kress graduated from high school in Cedar Rapids in 1924 and attended Coe College from 1924-1936. She taught fifth and sixth grade at Rowley Elementary School in Rowley, Iowa, and South Elementary School in Independence, Iowa from 1958 to 1973. Kress was an active member of two social clubs. The Happy Hour Club met the first Wednesday of every month and provided a social and cultural outlet for married women west of the river in Cono Township, Buchanan County. Kress was an active member of the club from the 1960s to the 1990s, and occasionally served as a club officer. Kress also participated in the Quasaqueton Federated Garden Club in the 1980s. The club began in 1935, and had twenty-three members in 1987. Its members met once a month and used their meetings for garden related projects and activities.