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Papers include biographical materials, diaries, a travel journal, her hymnal, and her Holy Bible.

The collection consists mainly of nine diaries, 1934-1991 (Scattered), a travel journal, 1952-1997 (Scattered), and Edith’s hymnal and Holy Bible, which she read daily. The diaries are a record of the weather, and her activities, including attending church, meetings, and classes, helping with the milk route, cleaning, ironing, sewing, washing, canning, and notes about family and friends. They are not reflective, emotional, or cerebral in nature. There is no discussion of national or world events. Her only major trip was to California in 1952. The biographical materials include a brief biography, scans of family photographs, a real photograph of the graduation class of Gladwin High School, 1931, a 1952 CMU commencement program, a Michigan Education Association Certificate, 1983, and her grade book from Central Michigan College of Education, 1944.

The collection consists of materials created and collected by two Central Michigan University (CMU) students, Lynn M. Riker and Mary Beth Erdman, who gave her materials to Riker.

The collection consists of materials created and collected by two Central Michigan University (CMU) students, Lynn M. Riker and Mary Beth Erdman, who gave her materials to Riker. Riker’s material documents her extensive activities in committees connected to her membership and leadership of CMU Residence Halls Assembly, which led to her involvement leading or co-leading the planning of the state, regional and national RHA conferences at CMU, including: the Michigan Residence Halls Assembly Conference in 1989, the Great Lakes Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls in 1984, and the National Association of Colleges and University Residence Halls, Inc. For the national she was involved with two bids, the unsuccessful 1985 and the successful 1986. Her papers include a wide variety of conference planning materials and bid packet materials include minutes, notes, correspondence, forms, schedules, budgets, lists of committee responsibilities, members and contacts, reports, conference invitations, banquet programs, certificates, fliers, stationery, and evaluations. Mary Beth Erdman’s materials include: 1950s and 1960s photographs and historical information about CMLife and CMU history articles that she wrote about or edited, including student demonstrations over censorship, 1960-1962, correspondence about her censorship editorial from CMU officials, including Wilbur E. Moore, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and a history of the Mount Pleasant High School student newspaper, the Stude, she wrote in 1954. Erdman also donated a photograph of a New Moon camper show with movie posters of The Long, Long Trailer, a 1953 MGM romantic comedy movie starring Lucy Ball and Desi Arnaz filmed in a New Moon trailer. The collection is organized by size and then alphabetically and chronologically.