Friendly Neighbors Club (Percival, Iowa) records

Collection

Identifier: IWA0178

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Friendly Neighbors Club records date from 1935 to 2000 and measure 9 linear inches. The records consist of a club history, biographies, annual programs, minutes, treasurer's books, scrapbooks, photographs, and a guest book. These records provide a glimpse into the social lives of farm women during the mid-twentieth century and into the demise of this type of social organization.

The club history includes a typed reminiscence culled from handwritten records of the club. There is also a newspaper clipping based on the reminiscence. The annual programs list officers, committees, and meeting dates. The minutes chronicle the activities of the meetings: gifts exchanged, mystery boxes shared, games played. The treasurer's books record income from dues, fines, and sales and expenditures for gifts, prizes, and donations to community groups and private individuals. The disbound photograph album includes numerous photographs of club members at their meetings. The guest book lists members attending the 50th anniversary celebration on April 17, 1985. The oversize scrapbook includes thank-you notes received by the club, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia.

Dates

Creation: 1935-2000

Creator

Friendly Neighbors Club (Percival, Iowa) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

The records 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

The Friendly Neighbors Club was organized in April 1935. The members were farm wives living southeast of Percival, Iowa. The meetings were originally held biweekly; members pieced quilt blocks, quilted, hemmed dish towels, or worked on other projects to raise money for the club. Each October the club held a fund raising sale, auctioning homemade food and crafts. The money was used to support county causes and needs of the Percival community and to purchase gifts for the needy. Special social events of the Friendly Neighbors were family potlucks, guest days, picnics, and card parties. Special celebrations were held for the 25th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries. The club ceased to exist after its sixtieth year in 1995 because of a decline in membership.