Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives
Laura R. Merrill papers
Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963.
UUS_COLL MSS 119
6 boxes
3 linear ft.
1917-1964
Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merrill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life. The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most significant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's missions with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and some Merrill family history. Material associated with the Central Utah Relocation Camp (Topaz Japanese internment camp) includes correspondence from former inmates (mostly cards with brief notes) and a few miscellaneous papers, but does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the camp library.
Collection materials are in English.
Open to public research.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Permission to publish material from the Laura R. Merrill papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
No records detailing the donor of these records are on file, but they were likely donated by Laura's sons Asa and Dean Merrill.
Laura R. Merrill papers, 1938-1964. (COLL MSS 119). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.
Laura Merrill was a long time resident of Logan, Utah. Born in Brigham City on 6 February 1876. After having only formal education to the eighth grade available to her, she studied and passed the teacher's exam and taught primary school. When requirements were raised, she attended Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, becoming one of the first women to attend. She then taught in Portage and Brigham City, Utah. Married to Lorin Asa Merrill on 13 June 1900, she bore eight children before her husband's death in 1919. Merrill then served six years as Cache County Recorder (1920-1926). In 1927, she studied Library Science at the University of Washington in Seattle, then returned to become the librarian at Logan High School, where she worked intermittently from 1922 through 1961. Merrill served two missions: Canada (1946-1948) and the Eastern States (1941-1943). Merrill also worked at the Topaz Japanese internment camp in 1944.
Bulk of the material is outgoing correspondence to her sons Dean and Asa Merill (1940-1960). There is also a small amount of correspondence to and from Dean Merrill, mostly concerning his mother. Other correspondents include friends and other family members. The letters written by Merrill mainly recount happenings in Logan and in her personal life.
The remainder of the collection contains personal material of Laura Merrill. Most signficant here are a series of journals (1938, 1940-1943, 1946-1961 intermittent). Typewritten summaries are available with the journals. Also, the collection has personal material from Merrill's mission with the L.D.S. Church and some Merrill family history.
The collection does not include a record of Merrill's experiences working in the Topaz Japanese internment camp library. Material associated with the Utah Relocation Camp include correspondence, mostly cards with brief notes and a few miscellaneous papers.
Outgoing letters are grouped by correspondent and are arranged chronologically within each group. Incoming letters to Merrill, have been arranged chronologically.
Laura R. Merrill Newberry & Caldecott Book Award WinnersCOLL MSS 090
Merrill, Dean Rees, 1907-1981.
Merrill, Asa Rees, 1903-
Shimada, Shigeo, 1906-. Memorial address for Private Nobuo Kajiwara.
Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963.
Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963--Correspondence.
Merrill, Laura Liona Rees, 1876-1963--Diaries.
Merrill, Dean Rees, 1907-1981--Correspondence.
Merrill, Asa Rees, 1903---Correspondence.
Central Utah Relocation Center.
Merrill family.
Reese family.
Logan (Utah)--History.
Topaz (Utah)--History.
Mormon women--Utah--Diaries.
Mormon women--Utah--Correspondence.
Correspondence
To Dorothy Bailey
1949
1
1
To Elizabeth Burnhamer
1946
1
2
To Asa J. and Ann Merrill
1946-1961
1
3
To Dean Merrill
undated
1
4
To Dean Merrill
1940
1
5
To Dean Merrill
1941
1
6-7
To Dean Merrill
1943
1
8-11
To Dean Merrill
1944
1
12-13
To Dean Merrill
1945
1
14-15
To Dean Merrill
1946
1
16-17
To Dean Merrill
1947
2
1
To Dean Merrill
1948
2
2-3
To Dean Merrill
1949
2
4
To Dean Merrill
1950
2
5
To Dean Merrill
1951
2
6
To Dean Merrill
1952
2
7
Io Dean Merrill
1953
2
8
To Dean Merrill
1954
2
9-10
To Dean Merrill
1955
2
11
To Dean Merrill
1956
2
12-13
To Dean Merrill
1957
2
14-15
To Dean Merrill
1958
2
16-17
To Dean Merrill
1959
2
18
To Dean Merrill
1959 July
3
1
To Dean Merrill
1959 August
3
2
To Dean Merrill
1959 September
3
3
To Dean Merrill
1959 October
3
4
To Dean Merrill
1959 November
3
5
To Dean Merrill
1959 December
3
6
To Dean Merrill
1959
3
7
To Dean Merrill
1960 January
3
8
To Dean Merrill
1960 February-April
3
9
To Dean Merrill
1960 September-December
3
10
To Dean Merrill
1960
3
11
To Dean Merrill
1961 January
3
12
To Dean Merrill
1961 February-March
3
13
To Dean Merrill
1961
3
14
To Mrs. Lorin C. Merrill
1941
3
15
To Katherine Milhouse
1952
3
16
From Dorothy Bailey
1948
3
17
From Claire Hulme
1960-1961
3
18
From Amy Merrill
1946-1962
3
19
From Effie Merrill
1947-1962
3
20
From Jo Merrill
1945
3
21
From Clementine Churchill, September 1948. From Charles DeGaulle
undated
3
22
From Japanese students that Laura taught at Topaz
1950-1961
3
23
Mostly brief cards; 3 letters from Tommy and May Meyasaki in Idaho.
Miscellaneous incomlng correspondence filed alphabetically
undated
3
24-25
Incoming correspondence to Laura Merrill, no surnames
undated
4
1
Incoming correspondence to Dean Merrill
1963-1964
4
2
Dorothy Bailey to Dean Merrill
1960
4
3
Claire Hulme to Dean Merrill
1957-1963
4
4
Sherman Lloyd to Dean Merrill
1959
4
5
Amy Merrill to Dean Merrill
1960-1964
4
6
Margaret White to Dean Merrill
1945
4
7
Incoming correspondence to Milton Merrill
1963
4
8
Unknown correspondents
undated
4
9
Letters about Rees Relatives
undated
4
10
David And Laura Rees genealogy
undated
4
11
Tracting essay by Laura Merrill
undated
4
12
Testimony of Laura Merrill
undated
4
13
Notes by Laura Merrill on the Discourses of Brigham Young
undated
4
14
Notes by Laura Merrill on the Life Story of Brigham Young
undated
4
15
Notes and personal writings of Laura Merrill
undated
4
16
Baptism and missionary papers
1917-1941
4
17
Topaz material, including two memorial addresses given by Shigeo Shimada and Masaru Narahara, Topaz Times 4 Nov 1944, and one page description of the library
undated
4
18
Merrill family funeral announcements
1961-1965
4
19
Merrill family chronology chart
undated
4
20
Correspondence from Langston Hughes
1945
4
21
Book of poetry "The Sunshine of Life"
1912
4
22
"The Affair at the Inn" by Charles J. Finger, inscribed
1930
4
23
Journals kept by Laura Merrill, 1-15
undated
5
Journals kept by Laura Merrill, 16-21
undated
6