P2208.xml ESTHER JERABEK: An Inventory of the Jerabek Family Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Dennis Meissner Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

Finding aid encoded by Dennis Meissner September 7, 2000Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Jerabek, Esther, 1897-1979. Esther Jerabek and family papers, 1914-1979. Papers of a Minnesota teacher and librarian, largely documenting her interest and research into her Czech family and ethnicity, Minnesota ethnic history, her college experiences, librarianship, and her bibliography of Czech and Slovak history sources. 2.0 cu. ft. (5 boxes, including 7 v.). See Detailed Description for shelf location BIOGRAPHY OF ESTHER JERABEK

Esther Jerabek, teacher and librarian, was born October 15, 1897 in Silver Lake, Minnesota, the daughter of Czech immigrants John and Julia (Bren) Jerabek. She graduated (1918) magna cum laude from Macalester College, St. Paul, and received an M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota (1924). She taught school (1918-1923) in Goodhue and Sibley counties and in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and later (1925-1928) in Rawlins, Wyoming. In 1929 she joined the library technical services staff of the Minnesota Historical Society, where she served as cataloger until her retirement in 1963. She died in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, October 16, 1979.

Jerabek authored many books and articles on Czechs in Minnesota and the United States, and on library procedures. Her major publications were Czechs and Slovaks in North America: A Bibliography (1972) and Check List of Minnesota Public Documents, 1941-1950 (1952).

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE PAPERS

The papers include biographical and genealogical information (1937-1964), correspondence files (ca.1964-ca.1975) on the publication of Jerabek's Czechs and Slovaks in North America, a few records of the Folk Arts Foundation of America (1948-1954), articles, reports, and speeches by Jerabek (1933-1950), scrapbooks (1914-1929), a University of Minnesota commencement booklet (1928), and a cookbook (1960).

ARRANGEMENT OF THE COLLECTION Jerabek Personal and Family Papers Esther Jerabek Professional Papers CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Women authors -- Minnesota. Women librarians -- Minnesota. Women teachers -- Wyoming. Women teachers -- Minnesota. Students -- Wyoming. Students -- Minnesota. Universities and colleges -- Minnesota. Moravians -- Minnesota. Libraries. Bibliographers -- Minnesota. Cookery, American -- Midwestern style. Cookery -- Czech. Czech Americans -- Minnesota Ethnic groups -- Minnesota. High schools -- Minnesota. High schools -- Wyoming. Persons: Jerabek family. Upham, Warren, 1858-1934. Organizations: American Library Association. Folk Arts Foundation of America. Macalester College -- Students. Minnesota Historical Society -- Officials and employees. University of Minnesota -- Students. Places: Wyoming -- Description and travel. Silver Lake (Minn.). Rawlins (Wyo.). New Prague (Minn.). McLeod County (Minn.). LeSueur County (Minn.). Document Types: Speeches. Recipes. Radio scripts. Occupations: High school teachers. Librarians. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Esther Jerabek and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 3197; 5536; 5645; 7156; 12,665

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, March 1997

Catalog ID number: 09-00042292

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION Jerabek Personal and Family Papers

The first two folders in box 1 contain two short obituaries of Jerabek (1979), genealogical and other information on the Jerabek family compiled by Jerabek including a brief genealogical chart (1758-1870) of the Frantisek and Jerabek families, vital statistics, family lists (all in Czech), and a manuscript by Jerabek, "One Branch of the Jerabek Family in Czechoslovakia and America" (1964), which briefly describes conditions in Bohemia and Moravia and then describes the eight generations of the family (including the Bren family) from 1758 to 1965. The manuscript also includes a genealogical chart and copies of letters written by Jerabek's grandfather, John L. Jerabek (1861), the diary (1874) of his emigration to the United States and Silver Lake, and an article about him (1903).

The third folder includes an undated essay on conservation (nature) by Elizabeth Jerabek; Esther Jerabek's M.A. degree, University of Minnesota (1924); correspondence (1940, 1944) with the Civil Service Commission relating to her salary and departmental staffing problems at the Minnesota Historical Society; World War II ration books; University of Minnesota Alumni Association "News and Notes" (1944, 1947); her bird watching records (1946); correspondence and other papers in Czech (untranslated, 1964-1977); and a letter (1976) from her niece "Bonnie" containing interesting observations on feminist issues.

P2208 1 Biographical information, 1979. Family history information, 1937, 1963-1965. Miscellaneous personal papers, 1924, 1940-1977. P2208 4 Scrapbooks: Macalester College, 1914-1918. 1 volume.

Contains invitations; Jerabek's report cards, including transcript of grades (1914-1918); concert and theatrical programs; tickets; clippings on Macalester College events; greeting cards; commencement programs; and a few letters. There are also concert and theatrical programs for non-Macalester events.

General, 1918-1920. 1 volume.

Includes a copy of her Goodhue County teaching contract (1918); programs; dance programs; commencement (1919); Macalester Glee Club (1920); clippings; Minnesota Education Association program (1919); ticket stubs; and a few letters.

"Memories of Gibbon," 1919-1922. 1 volume.

"Minnesota Days," 1922-1923.

Orchestral and theatrical programs; descriptive booklet regarding Macalester College; her election to Lambda Pi (University of Minnesota, 1924); programs from Gibbon High School (1924); University of Minnesota certification of completion of summer course (1923); University of Minnesota commencement program (1924); Oxford-Minnesota Debate Program (1924); M.E.A. membership card (1923); Fergus Falls High School Athletic Program (1923); and other programs from Fergus Falls, University of Minnesota, and Macalester College (1925-1926).

P2208 5 "Minnesota Days," 1923-1926. 3 folders. General, 1925-1929. 1 volume.

Mainly relating to her teaching career in Rawlins, Wyoming (1925-1928) including her teaching contracts (1925-1928); programs for concerts and plays; ticket stubs from sporting events; commencement programs; tally cards; a few letters from family and friends; greeting cards; summer session programs (UCLA, 1927); and related materials.

University of Minnesota commencement program booklet, 1928. Cookbook: First Congregational Church of Silver Lake, 1960.

Includes Czech recipes.

Recipes collected by Jerabek, [195-].

The recipes were found in the back of the cookbook.

Esther Jerabek Professional Papers P2208 1 Correspondence Relating to the Publication of Czechs and Slovaks in North America, [ca. 1964]-[ca. 1975].

An extensive file of correspondence between Jerabek and historical societies, museums, churches, schools, ethnic organizations, and individuals relating to the publication of Czechs and Slovaks in North America, published in 1976 by the Czech National Council of America. The letters contain much valuable information on Czechs and their immigration to the United States.

A - H. 7 folders. P2208 2 I - So. 14 folders. P2208 3 Sp - Z. 5 folders. Academic and Professional Writings:

A small group of Jerabek's academic papers, articles, speeches, and reports, mostly dealing with Czechs in Minnesota, Minnesota ethnic history, librarianship, and the Jerabek family.

Some Sources for Northwest History: Geographic Data About Minnesota, undated. A Pioneer Czech School-Master in Minnesota (Antonin Jurka), undated. A New World Bohemia, undated. Czechs, undated. The Czechs in Minnesota, undated. First Czechs in McLeod County, undated.

Holograph copy of selected text from the Illustrated Album of Meeker and McLeod Counties (Chicago: Alden, Ogle & Co., 1888).

Untitled review of the book Climb a Lofty Ladder, by Walter M. Havighurst, undated. The Library of the County Historical Society, undated. The People of Minnesota, undated. Economics in Cataloging, undated. Warren Upham, undated. The Expansion of Minnesota's Population, September 23, 1933. New Prague (radio speech transcript, KSTP), February 1935. Early History of the Silver Lake Community, April 20, 1942.

Presented to a meeting of the McLeod County Historical Society.

Report of the 1946 American Library Association Conference, June 17-22, 1946. Untitled history of the Minnesota Historical Society, 1949. A Century in the Minnesota Historical Society Library, 1849-1949, 1949.

Two separate versions.

Radio Talks on WCAL (Northfield, Minn.): Who the Czechs Are and Why They Came to America, April 7, 1949. The Moravian Brethren and the Pilgrims of '48, April 14, 1949. Assimilation and Contributions, April 21, 1949. Suggestions for Writing Book Reviews for Gopher Historian, [195-?]. Report on the American Library Association, Division of Cataloging and Classification, Cleveland Conference, 1950.