Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edith Bower Friske letters

Abstract

The Edith Bower Friske letters (dated 1939-1940; 0.04 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise seven letters that document the relationship between Edith, her new husband Leo, and her parents in Indiana and Iowa over the course of 1940.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edith Bower Friske letters

Date: 1939-1940 (inclusive)

Creator: Friske, Edith Bower, 1910-1990

Extent: 0.04 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Letters.; Family.; Historic sites -- United States.; hurricanes; Marriage -- United States; Travel -- Personal narratives.

Arrangement: Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.

Finding Aid Author: Sarah Coblentz

Preferred Citation: 2009ms132.0196: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edith Bower Friske letters, 1939-1940, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: Edith Josephine Bower (1910-1990) was born in Antelope, Oregon to Dr. Ernest C. Bower (1867-1953) and Ethel Mary Gloyn (1881-1970). Before Edith's 10th birthday the family moved from Oregon to Davenport, Iowa. In 1927, she married her first husband, Charles Vogt (1906-1989), however the couple separated within a decade as by 1939, Edith married her second husband, Leo P. Friske (1903-1970). In 1951, Edith graduated from Augustana College and became head librarian at Davenport. Edith remained in that position through 1957, returning to Augustana College as an English professor in 1958 where she remained until her retirement in 1975. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. After the death of her second husband, Edith married a third time to Neil Skinner (1901-1991) and relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana where she spent the remainder of her life.; American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.

Scope and Content: The Edith Bower Friske letters (dated 1939-1940; 0.04 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise seven letters that document the relationship between Edith, her new husband Leo, and her parents in Indiana and Iowa over the course of 1940. There are two letters sent to Edith, one from her father and one from her mother, that discuss Edith's recent wedding, her honeymoon trip to Niagra Falls, advice for her marriage, and happiness at seeing photos of the trip. The other five letters are addressed to Edith's parents, but are all signed "Mike and Neena". It is unclear whether Neena is a nickname for Edith or a separate person (possibly from her middle name, Josephine); however, the initial letter seems to identify Mike as a separate individual from Leo. These letters discuss a trip taken across the New England states, seeing the Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; meeting Jack Dempsey, being in Cape Cod during a hurricane, and traveling through a flood zone in West Virginia. The final letter discusses a mixture of the tail-end of her trip, as well as describing the attitudes of persons during World War II – in particular, relating to anti-Semitic feelings and Jewish unrest.; The Edith Bower Friske letters are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access: The collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Use Restrictions: The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Letters from parents, 1939

Box 258, folder 1

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Letters to parents, 1940

Box 258, folder 2

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Abstract
Descriptive Summary
Collection Overview
Preferred Citation
Restrictions on Access and Use
Contents of the Collection

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