Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 12/4/57
Mary H. Yearns
Papers, 1973-2005


Descriptive summary

creator:

Yearns, Mary H.

title:

Papers
dates:

1973-2005
extent:

3.9 linear feet (3 records center cartons)
collection number:

RS 12/4/57
repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research.

 

This collection is stored offsite. Please contact the Special Collections Department at least two working days in advance.
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Mary H. Yearns Papers, RS 12/4/57, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Mary Holt Yearns was born in Ames, Iowa on August 5, 1941. She graduated from high school in Arispe, Iowa. She went on to attend Iowa State University where she received her B.S. (1963) in home economics education, an M.S. (1972) in family environment (housing), and her Ph.D. (1984) in sociology. After receiving her B.S. Yearns taught in several public schools across the Midwest.

Yearns joined the faculty at Iowa State with a joint appointment as Instructor (1971-1974) in the Department of Family Environment, then a department in the College of Home Economics, and as Extension Specialist (1971-1973) in home management. She was promoted to Assistant Professor (1974-1985), Associate Professor (1985-2005), and Professor (2005-2010). During her career, Yearns was able to devote most of her attention to extension activities and public service as an Extension Specialist (1973-1976) in housing and home management, Extension Specialist (1976-1990) in family environment (housing), and Extension Housing Specialist (1990-2010). Yearns retired from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, a department of the College of Human Sciences, in 2010.

The extension work Yearns specialized in was on home renovation projects and energy efficiencies in the home. She was named the leader of the Home Energy Audit Program and the co-leader of the Modest Home Makeover Program. The Modest Home Makeover Program, which received grant funding from 1985 to 1987, provided residents of Iowa with the opportunity to explore ways to make improvements to their homes on a limited budget. Yearns also explored the possibilities of designing homes, primarily kitchen layouts and appliances, to be better suited for elderly and disabled people. She wrote dozens of publications and gave numerous presentations on these topics throughout her career.

For her work Yearns was rewarded with many honors and recognitions. She received the Outstanding Extension Educator Award (1979), the University Extension Achievement Award (1985, 1988) and was elected to Epsilon Sigma Phi (Extension Honorary). She served as President (1986) of the American Association of Housing Educators and was actively involved in the Iowa Home Economics Association. She also served as Chair (1980-1981) of Iowa State's Faculty Council.

Yearns is married to Kerald E. Yearns.

 

Collection description

The collection (1972-2005) contains biographical information and materials related to the Modest Home Makeover Program (MHM) including evaluations, annual reports, teaching guides, county and family information, plans, slides, photographs, newspaper clippings, and resources.

Families interested in the MHM entered into an agreement with the ISU Extension Service to consult and offer in-home assistance for planning updates to rooms in the family's homes. A county extension home economist would work with the families to develop plans and arrange for payment of most of the materials required for the improvements. In exchange, the family's home would be used as a model for the program and they would allow scheduled tours of the remodeled rooms.

Many of the MHM records are organized by county. These folders include family information, proposed plans, and before and after slides and photographs. The MHM kits include slides, photographs, resources and teaching examples. Additional resources include storage aids, home repair information, and home design ideas.

 

Organization

The collection is loosely organized with biographical information at the front followed by Modest Home Makeover Program records filed by county with reference and related files near the back.

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical information

1981-2005

2

6

Adams County - correspondence, survey

1989-1990

2

7

Adams County - plans, slides (51 color), correspondence and surveys

1988-1989

3

41

Audubon/Cass counties - slides (68 color), correspondence and notes

1990

1

2

Boone/Greene Counties - correspondence and Centsible Home Decorating Tour of Homes

1984-1985

1

3

Boone/Greene Counties - Miller house, plans

1984-1985

1

4

Boone/Greene Counties - Roberts house, plans

1984-1985

1

5

Boone/Greene Counties - Smith house, plans

1984-1985

2

9

Buena Vista County - Baker house, slides (44 color)

1988-1989

2

8

Buena Vista County - slides (50 color)

1988-1989

1

6

Buena Vista County - Sunde house, slides (23 color) and photographs (19 color)

1985-1986

2

10

Calhoun County - plans and photographs (12 color)

1988-1989

2

11

Cass County - correspondence and surveys

1988-1989

2

12

Cass County - Nevin house, slides (64 color)

1988-1989

2

13

Cass County - Rourich house, slides (18 color)

1988-1989

2

14

Cass County - Simmons house, plans and correspondence

1988-1989

2

15

Cass County - small slides (26 color)

1988-1989

1

8

Cerro Gordo County - Brown house, plans, slides (26 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

7

Cerro Gordo County - correspondence and news release

1987-1988

1

9

Cerro Gordo County - Erickson house, plans, slides (11 color), photographs (6 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

10

Cerro Gordo County - King house, plans slides (22 color), photographs (7 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

2

16

Clarke County - slides (11 color)

1990

1

11

Clay County - correspondence, description of slides

1986-1987

1

12

Clay County - Fisher house, plans and slides (18 color)

1986-1987

1

13

Clay County - Kilpatrick house, plans and slides (10 color)

1986-1987

2

17

Clay County - plans and slides (17 color)

1988-1989

1

15

Clay County - Skelton house, slides (34 color) and photographs (54 color)

1985-1986

1

14

Clay County - Woodcock house, plans and slides (14 color)

1986-1987

1

16

Crawford County - correspondence

n.d.

1

18

Crawford County - Dorale house, slides (30 color)

n.d.

1

17

Crawford County - Ettleman house, slides (16 color)

n.d.

1

19

Crawford County - Stark house, slides (21 color)

n.d.

2

18

Decatur County - slides (27 color)

1988-1989

1

20

Delaware County - correspondence and newspaper clippings

1986-1987

1

21

Delaware County - Helmrichs house, plans, slides (11 color) and photographs (6 color)

1986-1987

1

22

Delaware County - Kunde house, plans, slides (6 color) and photographs (8 color)

1986-1987

1

23

Delaware County - Scanlan house, plans, slides (17 color) and photographs (8 color)

1986-1987

1

25

Des Moines County - Adams house, plans and slides (23 color)

1987-1988

1

24

Des Moines County - correspondence and resource folder

1987-1988

1

26

Des Moines County - Meisner house, plans and slides (25 color)

1987-1988

2

19

Des Moines County - plans, slides (24 color), correspondence and newspaper clippings

1988-1989

1

27

Des Moines County - Wilson house, plans and slides (57 color)

1987-1988

1

29

Dickinson County - Blair house, slides (11 color)

1987-1988

1

28

Dickinson County - correspondence

1987-1988

1

30

Dickinson County - Heiser house, slides (31 color)

1988

1

31

Dickinson County - McCulloch house, slides (14 color)

1987-1988

1

34

Dickinson County - McWilliams house, plans and slides (11 color)

1986-1987

1

35

Dickinson County - Northey house, plans and slides (18 color)

1986-1987

1

33

Dickinson County - plans and slides (15 color)

1986-1987

1

32

Dickinson County - survey

1986-1987

1

40

Emmet County - correspondence

1987-1988

1

36

Emmet County - correspondence, Modest Home Makeover Evaluation Results

1986-1987

1

37

Emmet County - Lamberton house, plans and slides (14 slides)

1986-1987

1

38

Emmet County - Mathias house, plans and slides (14 color)

1986-1987

1

39

Emmet County - Schacherer house, plans and slides (2 color)

1986-1987

1

41

Fayette County - correspondence, newspaper clippings

1986-1987

1

42

Fayette County - Custer house, plans, slides (25 color) and newspaper clipping

1986-1987

1

43

Fayette County - Karlson house, plans and slides (29 color)

1986-1987

1

44

Fayette County - Steege house, plans and slides (7 color)

1986-1987

1

45

Floyd County - correspondence and resource folder

1987-1988

1

46

Floyd County - Posegate house, plans and slides (2 color)

1987-1988

1

47

Floyd County - Taylor house, plans, slides (30 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

48

Fremont County - correspondence and notes

1987-1988

1

49

Fremont County - Elwers house, plans and slides (32 color)

1987-1988

1

50

Fremont County - Handy house, plans and slides (42 color)

1987-1988

2

20

Fremont County - notes

1988-1989

1

51

Fremont County - Paper house, plans, slides (33 color) and agreements

1987-1988

1

53

Guthrie County - plans, correspondence and photographs (25 color)

1986-2987

1

52

Guthrie County - Rossow house, slides (24 color)

1986

1

54

Hamilton County - Thompson house, slides (22 color)

1987-1988

1

55

Hamilton County - Tjaden house, slides (12 color)

1987-1988

1

56

Harrison County - correspondence

1987-1988

2

21

Henry County - slides (21 color) and correspondence and newspaper clipping

1990

1

57

Howard County - correspondence and surveys

1986-1987

1

58

Howard County - Eddy house, plans and slides (13 color)

1986-1987

1

59

Howard County - McCabe house, plans and slides (9 color)

1986-1987

1

60

Howard County - Norman house, plans and slides (6 color)

1986-1987

1

61

Humboldt County - slides (47 color) and correspondence

1988-1989

1

62

Keokuk County - plans, correspondence and notes

1984

2

23

Louisa County - Bieri house, plans and slides (92 color)

1989

2

24

Louisa County - Knobloch house, plans and slides (44 color)

1989

2

22

Louisa County - slides (4 color), correspondence, newspaper clippings and magazine pages

1989

2

25

Madison County - slides (13 color) and correspondence

1990

1

63

Marshall County - slides (71 color) and correspondence

1988-1989

1

64

Mills County - correspondence, newspaper clipping, survey and resource folder

1988-1989

1

65

Mills County - Gregory house, plans and slides (35 color)

1988-1989

1

66

Mills County - Wilson house, plans and slides (50 color)

1988-1989

1

67

Mitchell County - correspondence

1987-1988

1

68

Mitchell County - Meirick house, plans and slides (23 color)

1987-1988

1

69

Mitchell County - Weis house, plans and slides (15 color)

1987-1988

2

26

Monona County - slides (11 color) and correspondence

1988-1989

2

27

Montgomery County - slides (27 color), correspondence and surveys

1988-1989

2

28

Muscatine County - slides (21 color), correspondence, newspaper clippings and surveys

1988-1989

1

71

Pocahontas County - Hohensee house, plans and slides (11 color)

1987-1988

2

29

Pocahontas County - plans, photographs (12 color) and correspondence

1988-1989

1

70

Pocahontas County - resource folder

1987-1988

1

72

Pocahontas County - Rittgers house, plans and slides (16 color)

1987-1988

1

73

Pocahontas County - Westerman house, plans and slides (23 color)

1987-1988

1

78

Pottawattamie County (East) - Beedle house, plans and slides (14 color)

1986-1987

1

75

Pottawattamie County (East) - Beedle house, plans and slides (6 color)

1987-1988

1

74

Pottawattamie County (East) - correspondence

1987-1988

1

76

Pottawattamie County (East) - Goettsch house, plans, slides (8 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

79

Pottawattamie County (East) - Johnson house, plans, slides (13 color) and photographs (2 color)

1986-1987

1

80

Pottawattamie County (East) - Stamp house, plans and slides (8 color)

1986-1987

1

77

Pottawattamie County (East) - Wheatley house, plans, slides (14 color) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

81

Pottawattamie County (West) - slides (13 color)

1987-1988

1

82

Poweshiek County - slides (45 color) and correspondence

1988

2

34

Ringgold County - Longfellow house, slides (33 color) and correspondence

1988-1990

2

30

Ringgold County - notes and agenda

1988-1989

1

83

Story County - correspondence

1988

1

84

Story County - Fulk house, plans and slides (22 color)

1988

1

85

Story County - Philips house, plans

1988

1

86

Tama County - plans ad slides (27 color)

1986, n.d.

2

32

Union County - correspondence and newspaper clippings

1990

2

31

Union County - plans slides (54 color), correspondence, newspaper clippings and notes

1988-1989

2

33

Van Buren County - slides (43 color) and correspondence

1990

1

87

Wapello County - correspondence and "Centsible Decorating" Results

1986

1

89

Warren County - Bomgaars house, plans and slides (17 color)

1987-1988

1

88

Warren County - correspondence and survey

1988

1

90

Warren County - Hines house, plans, slides (18 color), correspondence and magazine pages

1987-1988

1

91

Warren County - Johnston house, plans, slides (10 color), photographs (7 b&w) and correspondence

1987-1988

1

93

Winneshiek County - Elsbernd house, plans

1986-1987

1

94

Winneshiek County - Newhouse house, plans

1986-1987

1

95

Winneshiek County - Schuman house, plans

1986-1987

1

92

Winneshiek County - tour of homes and surveys

1986-1987

1

96

Woodbury County - correspondence

1989

1

97

Woodbury County - Dejong house, slides (25 color)

1989

1

98

Woodbury County - Wright house, slides (18 color)

1989

1

99

Worth County - correspondence

1987-1988

1

100

Worth County - Gravdal house, plans and slides (37 color) and photographs (7 color)

1987-1988

1

101

Worth County - plans, slides (38 color), photographs (6 color) and application

1987-1988

2

39

American Association of Housing Education paper - correspondence, review and poster presentation

1989, n.d.

2

48

Basic Home Repairs - articles on county events

1973-1977

3

52

Cedar Rapids Housing Van - Jan Hopkins correspondence and notes

1974-1975

3

51

Cedar Rapids Housing Van - Jane Cornelius slides (11 color), photographs (10 b&w) and correspondence

1973-1982, n.d.

3

15

Computer Programs - Floor Plan

n.d.

3

4

Conference at Kansas State University

1988

3

21

Cooperative Extension Service ISU Evaluation and Reporting Forms for FY 1989 Major Programs

1989

3

50

Creston - HUD Housing, slides (19 color), correspondence, notes, rural home repair documents

1977-1978

2

45

Davenport Housing Van - slides (3 color), correspondence, and newspaper clippings

1974-1975

3

7

Davenport, Helen - rearrangement and correspondence

1987

3

17

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Workshop notes

1985

3

6

Farm Progress Show

1987

3

10

Farm Progress Show display

1987

3

11

Farm Progress Show planning

1986

2

44

Fort Dodge Housing Project - correspondence, photographs (2 b/w), newspaper clippings, proposals and reports

1973-1976

3

8

Hardeman, Carol - rearrangement plans, correspondence and photographs (4 color)

1987

3

37

Home Face Lift Directory Organizational Guidelines for Extension Staff - 2 copies

n.d.

3

40

Home Face Lift Guidelines

1985, n.d.

3

2

Home Furnishings Class, April 25, 1989

1989

3

14

Home Office Makeovers

1987-1988

3

9

Jeffrey, Linda - rearrangement plans and correspondence

1987

3

22

Make Better Use of What You Have presentation

1989

3

49

Master Volunteer Bethany Moyer - Fremont County - plans, photographs (5 color), and correspondence

1989

3

45

Master Volunteer Jane Becker - Cass County - plans, photographs (25 color), correspondence and notes

1989

3

46

Master Volunteer Lavon Eblen - Cass County - plans and correspondence

1989

3

44

Master Volunteer Margaret Henderson - plans, photographs (5 color), correspondence, notes and samples

1989-1991

3

48

Master Volunteer Melanie Doyle - Fremont County - plans, photographs (10 color), correspondence and samples

1989

3

47

Master Volunteer Ruth Welchans - Fremont County - plans, photographs (8 color) and correspondence

1989

2

43

Modest Home Makeover - annual reports

1985-1991

2

41

Modest Home Makeover - evaluations

1986, n.d.

2

42

Modest Home Makeover - evaluations

1986-1990

3

5

Modest Home Makeover - evaluations

1988-1989

3

18

Modest Home Makeover - Lectures

1987-1989

3

38

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteer Planning Guide

1988-1989

3

33

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteer Planning Guide - Creston: Nov. 30, 1989, Nevada: Dec. 7, 1989

1989-1990

3

43

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers - Adair County

1991-1992

3

42

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers - Unfinished - slides (78 color), correspondence, notes, news clippings and program summary form

1990

3

26

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers I - slides (74 color)

n.d.

3

25

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers I - slides (74 color) and correspondence

1988

3

31

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers II - Design Critique, Jan. 1989 - slides (15 color)

1989

3

32

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers II - Design Study Course

1989

3

30

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers II DEAP - Design Elements and Art Principles, Jan. 1989 - slides (47 color)

1989

3

28

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers II, Design Introduction - slides (22 color)

1989

3

29

Modest Home Makeover - Master Volunteers Inservice II - Cover-up Techniques, Jan. 1989 - slides (24 color)

1989

3

13

Modest Home Makeover - News Releases

1987-1988

3

35

Modest Home Makeover - Planning Guide

1987-1988

3

36

Modest Home Makeover - Planning Guide

1987-1988

2

40

Modest Home Makeover - presentations at Storm Lake, October 1988

1988-1989

3

23

Modest Home Makeover - Requests for Program Assistance

1989

3

16

Modest Home Makeover - Requests from Other States

1988-1990

3

19

Modest Home Makeover - Resources

1993

3

34

Modest Home Makeover - resources and reference materials

1985-1987, n.d.

3

39

Modest Home Makeover - resources and reference materials

1985-1987, n.d.

3

24

Modest Home Makeover - slides (10 color), correspondence and notes

1986-1990, n.d.

3

27

Modest Home Makeover - Volunteer Inservice - plans, slides (35 color), applications and family information

1989

2

35

Modest Home Makeover Kit #1 - slides (102 color), correspondence, transparency copies, planning guide, script, and resources

1987, n.d.

2

36

Modest Home Makeover Kit #1 copy - slides (104 color), transparency copies, planning guide, script and resources

n.d.

2

37

Modest Home Makeover Kit #2 - slides (58 color), script and teaching outline

n.d.

2

38

Modest Home Makeover Kit #3: Focus on Window Coverings - slides (89 color), outline

n.d.

3

1

Modest Home Makeover Program Planning Guide - Mt. Pleasant, Oct. 5, 1989

1989-1990

3

12

Modest Home Makeovers - Extension Publication

1987

3

20

Modest Home Makeovers: An Extension Program for Tough Times, news release

1988, n.d.

2

47

Reference materials - home repairs

1982, n.d.

2

2

Reference materials - home storage, publications, slides (75 color)

n.d.

2

1

Reference materials - interior design ideas

1991, n.d.

2

3-5

Reference materials - Modest Home Makeover ideas

1988-1989

3

3

Waterloo Home Show

1989

2

46

Waterloo Housing - correspondence and reports

1973-1977