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Berte Emahizer diaries

1    COLLECTION SUMMARY

     1.1       Introduction

The Berte Emahizer manuscripts contain personal reflections on farm life in Northwestern Kansas. The main diaries begin in 1934 and end in 1957. The last diary in 1970-72 contains reflections on the life of Berte’s wife, Susie. Topics recorded range from weather patterns, agriculture, to personal life events experienced by the creator.  

The collection was donated to the Kansas State Historical Society in 2021 by Jean Runge. 

     1.2        Abstract 

              Farmer; Agriculture; of Northwest Kansas, Oberlin, KS, Rawlins County, Jefferson Township, Atwood, KS, USA

30 manuscript diaries written about daily farm life by Berte Emahizer. The collection includes staff collected research materials.

     1.3        Dates 

             1934-1957, 1970-1972

     1.4       Quantity 

            2 5 inch document cases 

     1.5       Creator

            Berte Elmer Emahizer (1883-1976)

     1.6       Title

            Berte Emahizer Diaries

     1.7       UID and/or Call #

            UID# 509365

            Call# 008-06-05-03 – 008-06-05-04

     1.8       Language

            English

     1.9     Notes

This finding aid describes materials held by the Kansas State Historical Society. Materials may be used in the Research Room in the society’s Center for Historical Research during regular research hours

     1.10      Repository 

             Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka)

2    BIOGRAPHY OR HISTORY

     

Berte Elmer Emahizer (1883-1976) was born December 17, 1883 to parents Wesley E. Emahizer (1853-1941) and Lillian E. Haskins Emahizer (1864-1943). Berte was a lifelong farmer, “an occupation he came to love.”[1] He was also a devoted member of the Methodist Church later the First Christian Church in Atwood.[2]

Berte and Susie O Hoppas met when she was teaching at Fairview School in 1905-06.[3] Susie boarded with Berte’s family for part of a school term. Berte and Susie kept up correspondence through letters for seven years, while Berte began to farm on his own in Colorado. According to his diaries, once Berte asked Susie to be his wife, he nervously awaited her answer by mail for a week.[4] Upon reading that she accepted, Berte began looking for engagement rings.[5] Berte and Susie were married by Reverend John Wintjen at six-o-clock Sunday, August 31, 1913, in a private ceremony at Susie’s father’s home.[6]

Berte and Susie created a life together in Northwestern Kansas. They settled in their first home south of Dresden. Berte rented and farmed on their land, which was located two miles from the school that Susie was teaching at.[7]

The Emahizer’s had three children. Bruce Emahizer only lived a few short hours in April of 1914. Their son Thain was born February 20, 1917. Their daughter Hazel Fern was born September 11, 1919.

In 1921, Berte and Susie moved their family to a farm near Rexford, where they lived until 1955, when they moved to Atwood to be near their children. In 1968, due to Susie’s ailing health, they entered Good Samaritan Center in Colby, Kansas.[8] Susie passed away suddenly on January 5, 1970.[9] In 1975, Berte moved to Mid America Nursing Home in Colby. Berte passed away March 20, 1976. They were laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery in Atwood, Kansas.

 

3    SCOPE AND CONTENTS

 

This collection includes two series: the original Emahizer diaries and research collected by staff.

Series 1: 30 diaries written by Berte Emahizer. The diaries begin in the mid-1930s and continued through the 1950s, with a final diary documenting the life of his wife, Susie, in the early 1970s. The diaries were used as a log for keeping track of weather patterns, particularly temperature and precipitation, crop yields and prices, status of farm animals, prices of groceries, and farm products. The diaries also note important historical events in history, as well as important events in the life of the Emahizer’s.

The diaries were for personal use by the family to document farm life and look back at weather patterns. Berte used a variety of writing utensils. He writes about the use of a fountain pen that requires ink. Later diaries have entries written in colored pencils and ink pens. The diaries are in mostly good condition, with some having more water damage than others.

Series 2: Related items to the Emahizer diares. These items were not a part of the original collection and includes collected newspaper articles, clippings, and census information on the Emahizer family. This information was collected by staff during the processing of the original collection.

 

 

4    CONTENTS LIST

            Series 1: Emahizer Diaries, 1934-1972.  (30 items)

            Box 1:

                        Folder 1: December 28, 1934 – August 20, 1935

                        Folder 2: August 21, 1935 – September 19, 1936

                        Folder 3:September 21, 1936 – December 31, 1937

                        Folder 4: January 1, 1938 – July 25, 1938

                        Folder 5: July 26, 1938 – June 3, 1939

                        Folder 6: June 4, 1939 – February 29, 1940

                        Folder 7: March 1, 1940 – January 31, 1941

                        Folder 8: February 1, 1941 – November 30, 1941

                        Folder 9: December 1, 1941 – June 30, 1942

                        Folder 10: July 1, 1942 – March 14, 1943

                        Folder 11: March 15, 1943 – October 18, 1943

                        Folder 12: October 19, 1943 – May 8, 1944

                        Folder 13: May 9, 1944 – January 21, 1945

                        Folder 14: January 22, 1945 – July 31, 1945

                        Folder 15: August 1, 1945 – February 6, 1946

 

 

            Box 2:

                        Folder 1: February 7, 1946 – October 24, 1946

                        Folder 2: October 25, 1946 – April 9, 1947

                        Folder 3: April 10, 1947 – October 28, 1947

                        Folder 4: October 29, 1947 – March 25, 1948

                        Folder 5: March 26, 1948 – November 2, 1948

                        Folder 6: November 3, 1948 – May 22, 1949

                        Folder 7: May 23, 1949 – November 22, 1949  

                        Folder 8: November 23, 1949 – December 1, 1950

                        Folder 9: December 2, 1950 – December 31, 1951  

                        Folder 10: January 1, 1952 – December 5, 1952  

                        Folder 11: December 6, 1952 – June 4, 1953  

                        Folder 12: June 5, 1953 – April 17, 1954  

                        Folder 13: April 18, 1954 – October 26, 1955

                        Folder 14: October 29, 1955 – May 10, 1957  

                        Folder 15: January 1970 – 1972  

 

Series 2: Related Research Materials Staff Collected

            Box 2:

Folder 16: Research Materials Related to the Emahizer Family. Collected by staff from Ancestry and Newspapers.com.

                       

5    RELATED MATERIALS

 

John C. Emahizer (1858-1933) was brother to Berte’s father, Wesley Emahizer, making John Emahizer Berte’s uncle. John Emahizer became owner of a furniture store, originally located in Oberlin, Kansas before he moved the store to Topeka, Kansas. Photographs of the furniture store held in the collections in the Kansas Historical Society Archives are listed below.

“Emahizer-Spielman furniture store,” between 1920-1940.

UID# 208909. Call# FK2 S5 T.73 M Ema *1

Available online on Kansas Memory.

https://www.kansasmemory.gov/item/208909      

This photo shows an interior view of the Emahizer-Spielman furniture store. There are two unidentified people pictured in the photo.

           

“Emahizer-Spielman Furniture Store,” between 1920-1940.

UID# 442459. Call#FK2.S5 T.73 M.Ema *2

Available online on Kansas Memory.

https://www.kansasmemory.gov/item/442459

This photo shows the interior of the Emahizer-Spielman Furniture Store during the 50th anniversary. This photo shows a view of the piano showroom. No people are shown in the photo.

           

“Street Scene, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas,” between 1870-1900.

 UID# 316970. Call# FK2.S5 T.5 KanA.5S *4

 Available to view in the Kansas Historical Society Research Room

This photo shows the outside of the Emahizer-Spielman furniture store at the 500 block of Kansas Avenue in Topeka. A large crowd is gathered in front of the storefront and surrounding businesses for an unknown occasion. The people are facing away from the camera, and none of the people are identified. The view includes the Emahizer-Spielman building, Zerchers Book and Stationery Co., a building with a sign for George M. Hammel, and a horse drawn buggy.

 

“Street Scene, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas,” between 1860-1870.

UID# 316967 Call#FK2.S5 T.5 KanA.5S *1

Available to view in the Kansas Historical Society Research Room.

This photo shows the northern half of the outside of the Emahizer-Spielman Furniture Store located on the 500 block of Kansas Avenue in Topeka.

 

6    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berte & Susie marriage announcement, Oberlin Times. September 12, 1913. Available on Newspapers.com.

Emahizer, Berte. Berte Emahizer Diaries. Kansas State Historical Society Archives, Manuscript Collection no. 509365.  

Obituary for Berte Emahizer, The Citizen-Patriot. April 8, 1976. Micro-Film A1727. Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka).

Susie Emahizer death notice, The Citizen-Patriot. January 8, 1970. Micro-Film A1102. Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka).

 

 

7    INDEX TERMS/SUBJECT HEADINGS/ACCESS POINTS

 

            Personal Names

            Berte E. Emahizer (1883-1976)

            Susie O Hoppas Emahizer (1884-1970)

            Hazel Emahizer Runge (1919-2008)

            Thaine Emahizer (1917-2008)

            Wesley Emahizer (1853-1941)

            Lillian Emahizer (1864-1943)

            Stephen Hoppas (1861-1930)

            John C. Emahizer (1858-1933)

 

            Geographic Names

            Northwest Kansas – History

            Rawlins County, Jefferson Township

            Oberlin, KS

            Dresden, KS

            Rexford, KS

            Burlington, Colorado

 

            Subjects

            Farming – Kansas

            Farming – Manuscripts

            Kansans – Manuscripts

            Dirty 30s – History

            Dust Bowl – History

 

8    ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

8.1       Restrictions on access

                 None.

8.2       Restrictions on use

                   None.

8.3       Custodial History/ Provenance

 

The diaries were kept by Berte until his passing in 1976. It is unknown who had possession of the diaries from Berte’s passing to the time of donation by Berte’s granddaughter, Jean Runge, daughter of Hazel. Runge donated the diaries to the Kansas State Archives in 2021.

8.4       Alternate forms

 

Diary December 1, 1941 – June 30, 1942 was digitized and is available on Kansas Memory at https://www.kansasmemory.gov/item/528550.

        

8.5       Preferred citation

            Note: Berte Emahizer diaries, 1934-1972, Kansas State                          Historical Society, Unit ID 509365.

            Bibliography: Emahizer, Berte. Berte Emahizer diaries.                                       1934-1972. Kansas State Historical Society, Unit ID                                     509365.

8.6       Acquisition information

            Acession#: 2022- 057.

                          Gift; Jean Runge; 2021.

8.7       Processing information

            Collection processed by Rebekah L. Stewart, 2024.


[1] Obituary for Berte Emahizer, Citizen-Patriot. April 8, 1976.

[2] Obituary for Berte Emahizer, Citizen-Patriot. April 8, 1976.

[3] Berte Emahizer,Berte Emahizer Diaries. 1970. Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka).

[4] Berte Emahizer,Berte Emahizer Diaries. 1970.

[5] Berte Emahizer,Berte Emahizer Diaries. 1970.

[6] Wedding announcement for Berte & Susie Emahizer, Oberlin Times, September 12, 1913.

[7] Berte Emahizer, Berte Emahizer Diaries, 1970.

[8] Obituary for Berte Emahizer, Citizen-Patriot. April 8, 1976.

[9] Susie Emahizer death notice, Citizen-Patriot. January 8, 1970.