Beulah Wiederrecht papers

Collection

Identifier: IWA0508

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Beulah Wiederrecht papers date from 1946 to circa 1995 and measure 4 linear inches. The papers consist of an unpublished essay written by Wiederrecht's daughter, sociologist H. Elaine Lindgren, that analyzes the correspondence between Wiederrecht and two Polish families after World War II, and the documents that formed the basis for the essay. Those documents include the original Polish letters, the translations of those letters, notes written by the translator, letters written by Beulah Wiederrecht to the Przybysz and Zwingeta families in Poland, and a few newspaper articles about the translator's life story. Lindgren's essay seeks to show "the possibility of establishing primary ties, even with strangers, in order to reestablish a sense of order in chaotic circumstances."

Dates

Creation: 1946-1995

Creator

Wiederrecht, Beulah, 1905-1983 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research with the exception of the correspondence which is closed until January 15, 2041.

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

Beulah Minder Wiederrecht, a teacher and homemaker, was born in 1905 to Hannah and John Minder on their farm near Muscatine, Iowa. She began teaching in a country school at age eighteen, and later, after receiving a teaching certificate from Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), taught in the Wapello public schools. In 1931 she married Kenneth Wiederrecht and retired from teaching. The couple lived on a farm near Wapello, Iowa, and had two daughters: Lois and Elaine.

After World War II, relief agencies solicited clothing and other items for the European victims of World War II. Beulah Wiederrecht donated some clothing, and the families who received it wrote to thank her. Wiederrecht located a Polish woman living in Burlington, Iowa, who translated the letters for her, and thus began a four-year correspondence between Wiederrecht and the two Polish families. Wiederrecht maintained a lifelong interest in world affairs, taught Sunday school, and was a 4-H leader for many years. Beulah Wiederrecht died in 1983.