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

RS 21/8/6
Vandervelde Family
Papers, 1837-[ongoing]


Descriptive summary

creator:

Vandervelde Family
title:

Papers
dates:

1837-[ongoing]
extent:

5.51 linear feet (6 document boxes, 1 half-document box, 1 card file box, 1 oversize box and 1 map case folder)
collection number:

RS 21/8/6
repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Vandervelde Family Papers, RS 21/8/6, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Marjorie Mills was born to Ernest Manning Mills (1863-1945) and Anna Burgess Mills (1869-1939) on September 13, 1908. Ernest was a medical doctor; he and Anna had a total of ten children: Max, Glenn, Ruth, Ursula, Helen, Ralph, Marian, Harlow, Marjorie and Ernest. After living in Kansas City, Kansas and Payson, Illinois, the family settled in LeGrand, Iowa.

Mills siblings
Max became a dentist and married Reba Ferguson. The couple had two sons: Milo (1920-1998), an attorney and Lawrence (b. 1923), who received his Ph.D. in Pre-Columbian art and headed the art department at Central College in Pella, IA. Glenn married Hazel Harvey and they had a daughter, Kathryn (1921-1967), who was immortalized after her death by becoming the namesake for an Idaho lake. Ruth Mills died in infancy. Lois Ursula Mills (1898-1986) received degrees from Grinnell College and the University of Northern Iowa. She married Lyell E. Johnson and had three sons: Robert, a physicist, Norman, a farmer, and Maynard, a livestock breeder. Robert received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University and has several special patents to his credit.

Helen (1900-1980) received a degree from the University of Northern Iowa and married L. Roy Grimes, with whom she had three sons and a daughter: Leonard, Dale, Ruth, and Paul. Ralph R. Mills received his degree from Cornell College, Iowa and married Ruth Northrup. They had one daughter, Rose, who became a teacher. Marian Mills received her degrees from Cornell and the Penn College of Business. She married Coe R. Durland and had two children: Connie and David. Harlow B. Mills (1906-1971) received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University and married Esther Brewer. They had two sons and a daughter: David, Gary and Judy. Ernest L. Mills (1911-1945) married Lois Garrett and had two children: Larry and Jody. He died during World War II.

Marjorie graduated from LeGrand high school and attended Penn (William Penn) College and Iowa State University where she met future husband Andrew Vandervelde.

Marjorie and Andrew Vandervelde
Andrew Vandervelde ("Vandy") was born to Martin Vandervelde, Jr. and Mary Voss on August 10, 1904 and had ten brothers and sisters. Although he was born in Arkansas, the family returned to Iowa when Andrew was an infant and settled in Emmetsburg.

The couple married December 31, 1929 in Le Grand, Iowa and bore three sons: Gerald, Donald, and Kent. Andrew and Marjorie developed a hybrid seed corn business; Vandy's 15, one of their products, received the bronze medal from the Iowa Corn and Small Grain Grower's Association in 1940. Their son Gerald received his M.D. from the University of Iowa and became a radiology specialist. Kent became a pilot in the U.S. Navy and Donald became a chemist and inventor who has a number of special patents to his credit.

Marjorie is a free-lance writer and has spent considerable time with the Kuna tribe in Panama. She is the author of Keep out of Paradise (1966), Sam and the Golden People (1972), Across the Tundra (1972), Could it Be Old Hiari? (1975) as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles; she is also the co-author of Art of the Indian (1973), Beauty is a ring in my nose? (1975), Born Primitive (1982), and Me run fast good (1983).

Marjorie Vandervelde has won several awards from the Iowa Press Women and received the National Press Women's first award in 1973 for her juvenile book, Across the Tundra.

Andrew Vandervelde passed away in 1980.

 

Collection description

This collection consists of materials collected by Marjorie Vandervelde about her family, including her parents, brothers, sisters, husband, sons, and extended family. Many of these items focus on life growing up in Le Grand, Iowa at the turn of the century as the children of the local doctor. The bulk of the materials consist of writings by Marjorie Vandervelde, correspondence between family members and anecdotal family history. Also included are extensive writings, correspondence and photographs from Marjorie Vandervelde's involvement with the Kuna and Choco tribes of Panama. Other items of interest relate to Nellie Sudduth who built a small homestead in Idaho during the late 19th century and Lake Kathryn, Idaho, which the family succeeded in getting named for a family member.

Among the papers are photocopies of vital family documents, photographs, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, and genealogical information. Marjorie Vandervelde's books can be found in the archives book collection: Born Primitive is available at F1565.2 C8 I388 1982; the Spanish-language version of it, Nacido Primitivo, can be found at F1565.2 C8 I38818 1983; the call number for Beauty is a ring in my nose? is F1565.2 .C8 I35x 1978.

Researchers should note that a complete collection of Marjorie Mills Vandervelde's columns are available at the Iowa Women's Archives (University of Iowa) in Iowa City, IA.

 

Organization

This collection is organized into four series:

Each series is organized in alphabetical order.

 

Description of series

Series 1

Mills Family

1837-2009, n.d.
description:

Series contains correspondence, photographs, publications, ephemera, and genealogical information relating to the family of Ernest and Anna Burgess Mills. Special emphasis is on the medical career of Ernest, the World War I service of his son, Glenn, and the Idaho pioneer life of Nellie Sudduth. In addition, there are materials relating to the naming of an Idaho lake for a granddaughter of Ernest and Anna.

 

Container list

 

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

4

19

"Birds of a Feather: A family album from 1630"

1982

9

2

Burgess family genealogy and other writings

2009, n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Cartoon booklet: "The Life and Experiences of the Great Mills: World Famous Scholar-Statesman-Farmer-Big Game Hunter-Sailor-Travellor-Rancher-Fisherman-Lecturer and World War Hero Extraordinary" (copy)

n.d.

1

1

Dr. E. M. Mills' daybook

1901-1902

1

2

Ernest M. Mills' medical school expenses (transcription)

1887-1889

6

4

Ernest L. Mills – World War II awards issued

n.d.

7

 

Family music – audio recordings of music performed by family members (21 audiotapes)

ca. 1960s-1990

1

4

Glenn Mills

1912-1990

1

5

Glenn Mills' World War I letters

1917-1919

1

6

Glenn Mills' WWI photographs (5 B&W)

ca. 1918

1

7

Grimes, Helen Mills, "Meet the Mills"

n.d.

1

8

Harlow Burgess Mills

1959-1971

4

20

Interview: "Marjorie Vandervelde answers questions – childhood early in the 20th century"

2002

1

9

Joe Burgess writings/correspondence

ca.1891

6

5

Johnson, Glenn – news clippings

2005

1

10

Johnson, Robert G.

2001

1

11

Joseph Burgess/Ernest Mills family photographs (11 B&W, 1 tintype)

1855-1950

1

12

Lake Kathryn, Idaho

1972-1995

6

9

Lawrence Mills – news clipping

2002

1

13

Letter from Grant Wood to Nellie Sudduth about philosophy behind "American Gothic"

1941

1

14

Letters written by famous people to family members (copies)

1941-1992

1

15

Luther Woodward letter to Levi Woodward (copy)

1837

1

16

Manning & Ursula Mills stories

n.d.

1

17

Marjorie Mills Vandervelde Biography (5 B&W, 3 color photograph)

1916-2006

8

 

Marjorie Mills Vandervelde Scrapbook (15 4x6 and 3 8x10 color photographs; 1 5x7 and 3 8x10 b/w photographs)

1963-2005, n.d.

1

18

Mills family genealogy

1918-2001

1

19

Mills family photographs (15 B&W)

ca. 1914-2000

4

17

Oral history: "Our Quaker family" Sula and Marjorie (audiocassette and transcript)

n.d.

4

9

Nellie Burgess Sudduth and David Sudduth

189?-1937

4

8

Nellie Sudduth correspondence/writings

1920-1960

4

7

Nellie Sudduth/Idaho photographs (20 3x5", 2 5x7" B&W)

1908-1940s, n.d.

4

16

Nellie Burgess, "Happy Graduates"

1892

1

20

Page from Anna Burgess Mills' journal listing her children's birth dates and parents (copy)

n.d.

1

21

"Papa was "The Country Doctor" (E.M. Mills)

1997

1

22

"Poems of Harlow Burgess Mills"

1986

1

23

Ursula Mills Johnson's writings about growing up

1980

 

Description of series

Series 2

Vandervelde Family

ca. 1920-2003, n.d.
description:

Contains material from five generations of Vandervelde's: Martin Vandervelde, Martin Vandervelde, Jr., Andrew and his children/grandchildren.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

2

13

"The growing-up of my family" – cartoons by Marjorie Vandervelde

n.d.

2

3

Andrew Vandervelde Scholarship – Iowa Lakes Community College

1986

4

11

Andrew Vandervelde's 'birth certificate' (copy)

1941

2

1

Andrew Vandervelde's barn drawings, soils map/essay

ca. 1920

2

2

Andrew Vandervelde's DeMolay certificate

1925

2

4

Chronological list of Marjorie Vandervelde's travels

ca.1994

2

5

Correspondence between family members

1962-2001

5

4

Don Vandervelde's patent materials

1997-2003

2

6

Don, Kent Vandervelde

1947-2001

Map

case

C409
D10

Farm Sale flyer

1949

6

10

G. M. Vandervelde's letter to his grandson Julian

2005

2

7

Kent Vandervelde, Jr.'s "Explosion" and "My Father's Hands"

1993, n.d.

2

8

Lake Shore Drive, Emmetsburg home

n.d.

2

9

Letter from Andrew Vandervelde to Mr. & Mrs. E.M. Mills

1930

2

10

Marjorie Mills weds Andrew Vandervelde

1929

2

11

Marjorie Vandervelde's letter to grandson Spike, "on life"

1992

2

12

Martin Vandervelde's Calgary farm (18 B&W photographs)

ca. 1920

6

7

Marjorie Vandervelde's first grade teacher, Mabel Lunde (1 5x7 B&W photo)

1923

Map

case

C409
D10

Martin Vandervelde's Calgary farm (18 B&W photographs)

ca. 1920

Map

case

C409
D10

Martin Vandervelde's Homestead certificate (copy)

1877

5

1

Martin Vandervelde's Warranty deed (photocopy)

1912

2

14

Vandervelde family genealogy

2000

2

15

Vandervelde family photographs (15 B&W, 6 color)

1914-1979

Map

case

C409
D10

Vandervelde, Martin's Civil War Military Register (color copy)

1864

2

16

Vandy's Seed Farm (5 B&W, 1 color photograph)

1939-1940

 

Description of series

Series 3

Marjorie Mills Vandervelde writings and photographs

1958-2006
description:

Contains mainly originals, but some reproductions of articles and poetry published by Marjorie Vandervelde. Also includes photographs that accompanied stories and correspondence and awards relating to her journalism career. Topics covered in her writings include family items, local interest stories, Alaska, Idaho, the Kuna and Choco tribes of Panama, and editorials.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

2

17

Alaska/Far North photographs: en route to Alaska on the ALCAN highway (1 B&W)

1959

2

18

Alaska/Far North photographs: Eskimo point, Northwest Territory, Canada (11 B&W, 1 color)

1958

2

19

Alaska/Far North photographs: Eskimos of Chesterfield Inlet, Hudson Bay (8 B&W)

1958

2

20

Alaska/Far North photographs: Ketchikan, Alaska – a town afloat (3 B&W)

1975

2

21

Alaska/Far North photographs: Marjorie Vandervelde with Eskimos in Stebbins, Alaska (5 B&W, 2 color)

1975

Map

case

C409
D10

Alaska/Far North photographs: Stebbins, Alaska (18 B&W)

1975

2

22

Alaska/Far North: "Eskimo Escapades"

1958
9 4 Alaska/Far North: "Exploring Alaska..." 2006

9

1

Alaska/Far North: "Exploring Alaska with My Typewriter in the 1950s and 1960s"

2003

2

23

Alaska/Far North: "The Subtle Art of Wife Trading"

1967-1983

2

24

Alaska/Far North: General

1958-1977

4

5

Africa

1988

6

13

Amana Colonies, Iowa: article

1961

6

14

Book of travel pictures: Where Have You Been? Nowhere. What On Earth Were You Doing? Nothing.

ca. 2002

2

25

Born Primitive: Marjorie Vandervelde's thoughts

1984

6

19

Correspondence: General

2005-2006

2

26

Editorials

1966-1987

2

27

Editors: Correspondence

1961-1992

6

15

Editors: Quotes (compiled by Maureen Horsley)

2003

6

16

Emmetsburg Public Library: Correspondence

2007

2

28

Family-related

1962-2002

4

12

Friends hymn

1962

2

29

General

1963-2007

2

30

Iglesias, Marvel: Correspondence

1984-1985

3

1

Kuna/Choco tribes: feature articles

1985-1993, n.d.

3

2

Kuna/Choco tribes: manuscripts

ca. 1963

3

3

Kuna/Choco tribes: newspaper articles

1963-2000

9

3

Kuna/Choco tribes: "Thomas" by Travis Hayenga

n.d.

3

4

LeGrand, IA

1968-2004

4

13

Manuscript: Mystery of the Grand Tetons or The last of the Sheepeater Indians

1950

3

5

National Federation of Press Women Award - Marjorie Vandervelde

1974

3

6

National Federation of Press Women's 1970 Journalism Award

1970

3

7

Nature

1970-1988, n.d.

6

17

Notes for archives

n.d.

3

8

Other cultures: General

1961-2000

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Hermit Portrait: Buckskin Bill" (1 B&W)

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Marjorie Vandervelde helps shell corn in Guatemala"

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Premasticating Baby's Food" (1 B&W)

1958

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Street Urchins – Homeless!!" (1 B&W)

n.d.

6

2

Photographs: Fiji (115 3x3 B&W photos)

1969, n.d.

3

9

Photographs: Central America

1963-1970

3

10

Photographs: Publicity (3 B&W)

1961, n.d.

6

1

Photographs: Tonga (59 3x3 B&W photos)

1969

6

3

Photogrpahs: Western Samoa (46 3x3 B&W photos)

1969

3

11

Poetry

1972

3

12

Profiles/biographies

1960-2007

5

2

Quaker research (photocopies)

n.d.

6

18

Reviews of her books

1988

5

5

Stories for children (1 of 3)

1959-1985, n.d.

5

6

Stories for children (2 of 3)

1959-1985, n.d.

5

7

Stories for children (3 of 3)

1959-1985, n.d.

3

13

Stories written for five to six year-olds

1960-1970s

3

14

Stories written for twelve to fifteen year-olds

1960-1970s

3

15

"Ten commandments for writers"

1995

3

16

"Thru my porthole" articles

2000-2007

6

8

Tillet Family

1970-1975

6

6

Vandervelde Primitive Cultures Collection at Iowa Lakes Community College – news clippings and images (digital images on 1 CD-ROM)

2005

4

18

"World at our feet" column

1968

 

Description of series

Series 4

Marjorie Vandervelde and the Kuna/Choco tribes

1964-2006, n.d.
description:

Series documents the long-standing relationship between Marjorie Vandervelde and the Kuna and Choco tribes of Panama. Includes several photographs, a film which has been transferred to DVD, as well as extensive correspondence. Of particular note are the materials from Gregoria Martinez and Mack Preston, two Kuna doctors' whose medical education was sponsored by the Vandervelde's.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

3

17

Correspondence between Vanderveldes and the Kuna/Chocos

1963-2000
9 5 Film transferred to DVD – "Kuna Yala & Darien, Panama" (1 DVD; reproduction is permitted) 1960s

6

12

Kuna Indians exhibit, Sarasota, Florida – Images of molas and art items (1- CD-ROM)

2006

4

1

Kuna Pastor Fund Reports

1992

4

2

Marjorie Vandervelde, as remembered by Kunas Gregorio Martinez and Mack Preston

1999

4

6

Martinez, Gregorio correspondence (13 3x5" B&W)

1974-2005

5

3

Panama journals (photocopies)

1963-1992

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Beggar (Guatemala)"

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Darien Jungle Choco – baptized in Rio Mogue" by Deus Escobar

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "Search for Jungle Medicine Man"

n.d.

4

10

Photograph: "Surgery – San Blas Islands (Dr. Gregorio Martinez)"

1990s

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: "The eyes of SraUpkinya! MV & Kuna medicine-maker in duet" Ailigandi, San Blas

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: Unidentified adolescent Kuna girl

n.d.

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: Unidentified Central American male in boat

1963

Map

case

C409
D10

Photograph: Unidentified elderly Kuna woman smoking pipe

n.d.

4

3

Photographs: General (42 B&W, 1 color)

1964, n.d.

5

10

Photographs: Kuna tribe (96 3x3 B&W photos, 17 4x5 color photos)

1963-1985, n.d.

5

8

Photographs: Kuna tribe (1 of 2) (2 3x3 color photos, 84 3x3 B&W photos)

1963-1983, n.d.

5

9

Photographs: Kuna tribe (2 of 2) (31 3x3 B&W photos)

1963-1983, n.d.

4

4

Photographs: San Blas Islands/Kuna tribe (14 B&W)

1963, 1965

6

11

Videotaped interview: Living in Iowa (Iowa Public Television) segment about Marjorie and her experiences with the Kuna and Choco tribes (1 videotape and 1 DVD)

2006

4

15

Thumbnails of scrapbook images (print-outs of digital contact sheets)

1989