The University of Iowa Libraries

Access: The papers are open for research

Use: Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 1321) were donated by Mary Bywater Cross in 2012.

Preferred Citation: Luella Rynerson Smith papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City.

Repository:	Iowa Women's Archives
Address:	100 Main Library University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone:	319-335-5068
Curator:	Kären Mason
Email:	lib-women@uiowa.edu
Website:	http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa

Luella "Lulu" Rynerson, great-grandmother of donor Mary Bywater Cross, was born in 1876 and lived in the Monticello, Iowa, area. She married John Campbell Smith in 1913. As a leader in rural women's organizations, she amassed a collection of resources for farm women published by the Home Extension program of Iowa State (now Iowa State University) and other agencies. Luella Smith died in 1948.

The Luella Rynerson Smith papers are organized in seven series: Rural Farm Organizations, Home Extension Course Leadership, Family, Booklets, Sewing, Miscellaneous, and Smith Family Embroidery Patterns.

The Rural Farm Organizations series (1930-1932 and undated) contains material related to programming and leadership of various organizations, including songs, readings, recitations, and skits appropriate for community pageants.

The Home Extension Course Leadership series (1929-1932 and undated) includes materials from Lulu Rynerson Smith's involvement as a leader and instructor of self-improvement and home management courses for rural women.  Nutrition and childcare are among the topics covered.

The Family series (1884-1989) contains a folder of letters received by turn of the nineteenth century Iowa City resident Jessie Cannon Bywater, a relative of Luella Rynerson's, and a folder containing mid-century fabric samples from the home of one of the donor's relatives.

Booklets series (1915-1937) contains a wide selection of booklets published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and various extension agencies on a variety of topics, including home décor and management, tailoring, livestock, cooking, and gardening.

Sewing (undated) contains fabric and yarn samples, as well as paper pattern pieces, including some for a size "brassiere."

Miscellaneous (1926 and undated) contains holiday tissue paper, miniature American flags, and other items falling outside the bounds of the series above.

Smith Family Embroidery Patterns (1886-1941) includes both printed and hand-drawn paper patterns and written instructions for embroidery and crochet projects handed down in the Smith family.

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.

Personal Names:
Smith, Luella Rynerson, 1876-1948
Bywater, Jessie Cannon

Corporate Names:
Iowa State College Cooperative Extension Service
United States. Department of Agriculture

Dates:
1880-1889
1890-1899
20th century

Topics:
Rural women
Women in community organization
Farm life
Community organizations
Home economics
Textile fabrics
Nutrition
Child care
Sewing
Embroidery
Handicraft
Livestock
Cooking
Gardening
Women in agriculture

Occupations:
Farmers
Homemakers

Geographic Names:
United States -- Iowa -- Monticello
United States -- Iowa -- Iowa City

Genre/Form of Materials:
Archives
Personal papers
Correspondence
Cultural artifacts

Family Names:
Smith family

Browse:
Women's Clubs and Organizations
Rural and Farm Women