Mildew and China

Today was my first day at the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies at Tabor College. They put me right to work.

My work station for the week with my first project on it.

Someone had brought in some papers from their family. Information about reunions, wedding invitations, etc. However, they had apparently been stored in a basement.

Rusted staples! What else could I possibly expect?

Mildew all over all of the papers.

Photo negatives stuck into their sleeves.

However, after a few hours, I got everything into its rightful place.

Waiting for the negatives to dry out.

After lunch, I got to do some of my own research. I started with the Bena and Emma Bartel file. These two were missionaries in China on and off from 1916 to 1951 (actually, Bena was by herself from 1916 to 1923. Emma joined her after her year of furlough). In late 1941, they were captured by the Japanese and were kept in a concentration camp until 1943 when they were exchanged for Japanese citizens. They went back to China 1946 and stayed until 1951 when they went home. Here are some pictures I found in their box:

Jacobena "Bena" Bartel

Emma Bartel (possibly her graduation from nursing school.)

Bena and another woman pick cauliflower in a garden in China. 

Bena

Emma

A class that Bena taught in China.

Bena and Emma (right and left) with another woman.

I also found a few surprises. Here, on a funeral program for Bena, I found what looks to be my grandmother's handwriting. My grandma, who passed away last February, wrote every little thing down, so I'm not surprised that she was writing notes during the funeral.

If someone else who knows Ethel's handwriting could look at these and tell me if they agree, that would be great.

When I opened the first folder, I thought that I would get nothing out of it. Why? Because the first document I found when I opened the folder was in German. Despite my grandma's best attempts, I don't know any German, and I didn't really want to bother Peggy and ask her to translate. However, only two papers in this folder were written in German. It took me a bit to figure out that one letter was written in German. I thought that I just couldn't read it because of the handwriting.

Surprise! German!

I'm still not totally convinced that this isn't just English in illegible handwriting.

I would say that the day was pretty productive. When I finished at 4, I had about 10 pages of single spaced notes-- mostly quotes from letters and packing lists that included things like a "good spray gun for D.D.T. etc." Yikes!

With the document box, there was also a small artifact box. Inside, I found this small wooden cup and lid.

There were also several large banners with Chinese on them. I plan to get pictures of them tomorrow, but they were too long to lay out on the table, so I'm going to figure out something for them tomorrow.

On Thursday, I may not be able to post anything, since that evening I will be going to see Katie Funk Wiebe, who put up the money for me to go on this trip.

I'm excited to go back tomorrow, even if it means I have to get up at 6:30.