Historical Committee Hist. Mss. 1-928 Luella (Short) Yoder (1907-1998) and Melvin A. Yoder (1910-1989) Collection Papers, 1925-1998  (Includes some materials from parent’s generation, 1897-1929) 16 Boxes (1 Gray, 13 Large, 2 Oversize) Biographical Sketch 1907    Birth of Luella Short, Wauseon, Ohio, to Andrew and Mary Short.  Luella had ten siblings: six sisters and four brothers.  One sister, Lillie, lived with her parents (note the envelopes addressed from Andrew Short).  1917    Melvin A. Yoder is seven years old when his parents, Levi U. Yoder (1867-1928)   and Mary Ellen (Ella) (Hostetler) Yoder (1875-1952) moved, to Midland, Michigan.  Melvin had six siblings: five sisters and one brother.  The grandparents, the Moses H. Yoder (1833-1911) family, had originally come from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and had moved to Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.  At one point the Levi U. Yoder family moved from Inman, McPherson County, Kansas, to Brandon, Colorado.  It was from there that they had taken the train to Midland, Michigan. The mother, Mary Ellen Hostetler, was raised as a foster child in the Hershberger family, and was also known as “Ella”.  When Levi died, Ella remarried Amos Miller, from Iowa.  (Note that in the collection there is some correspondence to Luella from Amos’ children, who would be her brother-and sister-in-laws, by marriage). 1925    Luella attended a short Winter Bible term at Goshen College 1926    Collection includes letters from friends and relatives she met here. 1932    Luella moved to Midland, Michigan, to work 1933    Luella Short and Melvin Yoder were married December 22, 1933, in Midland, Michigan 1935-1951  Children born to Luella and Melvin 1920s-1990s  Members of the Midland Mennonite Church, Midland, Michigan.  Melvin Yoder served as a deacon of the church for many years. 1983    50th Wedding Anniversary 1989    Death of Melvin Yoder 1998 Death of Luella (Short) Yoder Administrative Information     These papers were deposited into the Archives by a daughter, Esta Hostetler, Middlebury, Indiana, in 2000, on behalf of the family.  The other children of Melvin A. and Luella Yoder are: Ethel Yoder, Saginaw, Michigan; Milton Yoder, Tucson, Arizona; Elvin Yoder, Washington, Iowa; Loretta Toner, Midland, Michigan; and Merlin Yoder, Austin, Texas.  One sibling, Leanna Keim, is deceased. Preliminary Inventory of Boxes 1-4 by Zach Landis, with Introduction and Biography by Dennis Stoesz, June 29, 2000.   Preliminary Inventory of Boxes 5-17 by Erin Wilson, February 5, 2001.  Update to Inventory of Boxes 5A, 5B and 6, by Dennis Stoesz, November 5, 2001. Sources: Oral interviews with Esta (Yoder) Hostetler, and Milton Yoder.  See also the two family genealogy books, The Moses H. Yoder Geneology (1970) and The Moses H. Yoder Family History (1995). Inventory Listing Box 1 (Gray) Letter from cousin Dora Short, Midland, Michigan, October 4, 1922, to Luella Short, Wauseon, Ohio Letters written to Luella Short and Melvin A. Yoder, 1922-1934.     Note that Luella and Melvin were married in 1933.     Note: “Some of these letters addressed to Luella Short are from friends she made at a short Bible term at Goshen College in 1925." Golden Wedding Anniversary, 1983 Box 2 (Large) Letters written to Luella Short and Melvin A. Yoder, 1922-1944.     Note that Luella and Melvin were married in 1933. Box 3 (Large) Letters written to Luella (Short) and Melvin A. Yoder, 1940-1960's     On top are letters from 1950's-1990's Box 4 (Large) Letters written to Luella (Short) and Melvin A. Yoder, 1950's-1998 Luella (Short) Yoder: Wedding clothes, plus others, and Mom’s Friendship Quilt Blocks, and correspondence prior to marriage and later Box 5A (Large) 5A/1    Black Bonnet (soft) 5A/2    Black Bonnet (hard) 5A/3    Wedding slip, made by Luella Short 5A/4    Purse, small black 5A/5    White shoes, with white stockings (in box) Box 5B (Large) 5B/1    Dow’s Utopian Chocolates box.  Includes: Diary, May 1, 1929-August 3, 1932; Letters written to Luella M. Short, Wauseon, Ohio, 1932-34 5B/2    Box of Letters, 1932-34, Love letters, 1932-33, written to Melvin A. Yoder, Midland, Michigan Includes some letters from 1934 5B/3    Box of documents Birth certificate and Marriage License Wedding invitations, 1933 5B/4    Calendar, 1931 “Christmas Greetings” 5B/5    Plain Clothing advertisement, 1961, Hager and Brothers, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania 5B/6    Archbold, Ohio, Mennonite community births and deaths, 1920-31, as recorded by Luella Short. 5B/7    Housework, Toledo, Ohio, before 1933. 5B/8    Wedding gifts, December 22, 1933 5B/9    Goshen College, Student’s Handbook, 1925-26 5B/10    Baby announcement, “Mary’s baby Luella”, 1907, from “Luella Schlatter” for whom she was named after 5B/11    Christmas presents, 1935, 1939 5B/12    Deeds (Three of them), 1934, 1937, Midland, Michigan 5B/13    Driver’s License, including picture identification (four of them), Michigan, ca. 1960’s-80’s. 5B/14    Greeting cards of various kinds, sent to each other, Melvin and Luella Yoder, ca. 1960’s, including one or two older ones 5B/15    Luella’s saving record book, and Bank record books, 1927-34, Wauseon, Ohio 5B/16    Autograph books (two), 1926 and 1929-30 5B/17    Hospital bill, 1935, Luella 5B/18    Wedding invitation, 1925, Pearl Frey and Sylvan Rupp. 5B/19    Scripture Birthday Book, 1919-1969; also an Autograph book, 1926 5B/20    Birthday card, 1987, from Nancy Reagan and USA President Ronald Reagan 5B/21    Sauder Museum, Archbold, Ohio, Guide book, 1978, “Heritage of the Black Swamp” 5B/22    Music Sheets, “Lorenz’s Octavo Anthems”, Luella and Viola Short, “Seek Ye the Lord”, etc. 5B/23    Music Book, “Palmer’s Graded Studies in the Art of Reading Music at Sight”, received b Luella Short, October 18, 1927 5B/24    Circle letters, 1927-30 ( for example, “Vol. 2, No. 16, Toledo, Ohio, April 30, 1928”) (probably including time when Luella was at Goshen College’s Short Bible Term) 5B/25    Napkin “Ohio, the Buckeye State”, 1954, showing historical facts, etc. Box 6 (Large) Papers of Levi U. Yoder (1867-1928) and Mary Ella (Hershberger) Yoder (1875-1952)     Were married on September 30, 1897 6/1    Report cards, 1883-85, 1890, of Mary Hershberger, and Ella Hershberger, Middlebury Schools, Indiana  (same person but sometimes used first name and sometimes used middle name).  Folder also includes many poems, including “Ella Hershberger’s Farewell, March 6, 1885), and “The mettlesome little girl”, by Mary E. Hershberger, etc.  Also includes a small red notebook, with various things in it including a Christian and Susanna (Yoder) Hershberger genealogy of them and their children, from 1843-1929 (2 pages) 6/2    Letters, 1897, between Levi U. Yoder, Inman, Kansas, and Mary E. (Ella) Hershberger, Vernon, Kansas 6/3    Letters, 1896, 1911, 1917, received by Levi U. Yoder.  Includes the program of the May 15, 1908 Commencement, Groveland School, Groveland, Kansas, with Levi Yoder on the program giving a recitation of “The Station Agent’s Story”.  Also a 1910 program of the Sunday School Conference at West Liberty, McPherson County, Kansas.  (Materials were all in a white bag marked “L. Yoder”) 6/4    “Public Sale” bill, April 23, 1917 of L. U. Yoder, owner, 1 3/4 miles north of Brandon 6/5    Newspaper, Brandon, Colorado, The Westland, April 26, 1917, Volume XII, Number 17, 8 pages. 6/6    Correspondence, Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, 1917-18, 1933-35 6/7    Automobile records, and a few other items, of Levi U. and Ella Yoder, 1925-45 6/8    Estate papers record book, 1952-53, as kept by Melvin A. Yoder Postcards Postcards date 1909, 1922, etc. 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries, 1958 and 1983 A bundle of cards of the 25th Anniversary plus some other years An Anniversary heart, December 22, 1983  (Luella did some tatting around the heart) Anniversary book 50th Anniversary Loose cards Envelope of news clippings of Melvin and Luella’s picture Clothes Melvin’s wedding suit jacket Pop’s wedding shirt (piece of clothing, unidentified?, not a blouse) and head covering Box 7  (Large) Melvin’s Funeral Things Cassette tape dated 11-13-89 labeled Melvin Yoder Loose letters and cards Funeral book of attendance Some old Gospel Heralds Also includes wedding invitations, graduation invitations, thank you, and birth announcements Box 8  (Large) Programs from the wedding invitations box Preaching Notes of Melvin A. Yoder, Midland Mennonite Church Several small black binders with notes and some loose leafs of paper Church Conference and Melvin’s School Things Includes wood tools made by Melvin in the Communion Cup used at Midland Mennonite when Melvin was Deacon (found in a brown paper bag) Pop - appendicitis operation 1948 (bundled letters) Yoder Circle Letters  (bundled letters) Old School Books Plaque of Melvin Yoder “Gratefully Acknowledging 30 Years as Deacon Midland- Mennonite Church 8/29/44-8/2974 A box with greeting cards Mennonite Yearbook 1958-1981 Box 9  (Large) More of Melvin’s School Things, etc. Mennonite Handbooks Confessions of Faith Album Anniversary Pictures Also includes Luella’s Funeral Things Bulletins Box 10 (Large) Collections of cards Graduations –graduation cards Invitations-parties-showers etc.  Birth Announcements Death Memorials & Thank you notes Napkins Box of Thank You notes Announcements, Engagements and Wedding Programs Scrapbook of Christmas Cards Box 11 (Large) Box of “Mom’s School Things” Diaries (mostly mom’s), school things, Goshen Bible School Diaries 1932-1988 Luella S. S. and Bible School (Brown Paper Bag) Scrapbook of Luella’s parents Andrew and May Short 50th Anniversary Box 12 (Large) Materials related to Midland Mennonite Church or Church-wide concerns Minutes of Building Letter to Melvin Yoder about starting a Mennonite School Midland Mennonite Church Calendars Midland Mennonite Church Council Minutes Church Programs A book of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities 1936 Mom’s 90th Birthday Scrapbook Box 13 (Large)   4 Scrapbooks Melvin worked at Dow Chemical – Dow Diamond & Brinewall the magazine for employers Dow magazines 1940-50(?) Book "Herbert H. Dow: Pioneer in Creative Chemistry" Note: "Reunions and Genealogies" Loose materials: births and weddings of Melvin and Luella's families, A family tree book "Moses H. Yoder 1833-1911: Yoder Coat of Arms 1095" Box 14 (Large) Continued Reunion and Genealogy papers Blue Binder of family tree information: The Andrew Short Family Bag of Yoder Reunion things A roll of Church conference and Melvin's school things Box 15 (Oversize File) Marriage Certificate of 1897 Melvin's parents Levi and Ella Yoder marriage certificate in a frame. Box 16 (Oversize Tan Box) Happy Birthday Poster Picture of Short family tree, including births of Luella’s parents, and their children, 1884-1928 Scrapbook 1954 February 16, 2004 / Posted on web by Rebecca Allen February 3, 2004 / Updated by Helen Hostetler File “HM1-928.doc” Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen, 1700 S Main St., Goshen, Indiana 46526 Back to Personal Collections Index Webmaster: John E. Sharp [SharpRoots.com] | Redesign: Tim Nafziger| Last updated: 7/24/2003

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