Meyer, Wenger, Bucher Collection, 1884-1983

By Benjamin Errickson '19 and Abigail Sholes '23

Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1886-1915

This series contains relevant correspondence, postcards, documents, and articles pertaining to Fianna Bucher Meyer (1886-1915). Contents include school documents, such as school reports, an Elizabethtown College tuition bill, and an attendance log for Sunday School. A penmanship exercise booklet and tablet of lined paper contains various school assignments completed by Fianna Bucher. Later papers include a wedding announcement to Samuel G. Meyer in 1910. Several articles and announcements pertain to Fianna Meyer’s illness and subsequent death from tuberculosis in 1915. Correspondence ranges from 1895-1918 and largely involves family members writing to Fianna Meyer during her time at White Haven Sanitorium or discussing her tuberculosis diagnosis with others. Other topics include Fianna Meyer’s children and daily life during her life and after her death. Correspondents include Mary and Phares Habecker, George and Fianna Bucher, Samuel G. Meyer, Leah Phillipy, Amy Bucher, and Rufus Bucher. Also included in this series are all postcards sent to and from Fianna Meyer between 1906-1915, with correspondents such as Martha Martin, niece Ruth, Susan Wenger, Ella Lentz, Leah Phillipy, Clara B., Kathryn, Katie Merkey, cousin Simon, Phares and Mary Habecker, George and Fianna Bucher, Leah K. Meyer, Mrs. Isaac Newton Harvey Beahm and Mrs. Joseph Gibbel.

Box 1

Folder 1: Sunday School Attendance Log, 1904

Folder 2: School Papers, 1895-1908

Folder 3: Wedding Announcement, 1910

Folder 4: Death and Funeral Announcement and Articles, 1915

Folder 5: Correspondence: To/From Habeckers and Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1895-1915

Folder 6: Correspondence: To/From Bucher parents and Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1908-1915

Folder 7: Correspondence: To/From Leah Phillipy and Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1913-1914

Folder 8: To Fianna Bucher Meyer from Samuel G. Meyer, 1913-1915

Folder 9: Correspondence: To "sister" from Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1908-1915

Folder 10: Correspondence: To/From Assorted Individuals and Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1904-1915

Folder 11: Correspondence: Concerning Fianna Bucher Meyer and family, 1914-1918

Box 2

Folder 1: Postcards: To/From Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1906-1910

Folder 2: Postcards: To/From Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1911-1915

Series 2: Leah K. Meyer, 1913-1988

This series contains relevant documents, correspondence, and article relating to Leah K. Meyer (1913-1988). Early school papers include a Sunday School booklet, attendance certificates, report cards and commencement papers from high school, and report cards and papers from Elizabethtown College, spanning the years 1916-1941. Two teaching contracts, one from Jackson Township School District in 1938 and one from Spring-Ford Area School District in Royersford, Pennsylvania in 1966, detail Leah Meyer’s employment with the schools. Meyer also worked in the Oaks School District as a first-grade teacher, retiring in 1978. Correspondence contains information about personal and family life from 1920-1931 during Meyer’s childhood and young adulthood. Correspondents include Mary Habecker, Samuel G. Meyer, Beulah Grove, Dorothy Bucher, Leah Phillipy, and Caleb Bucher.

Box 2

Folder 3: School Papers, 1916-1941

Folder 4: Teaching Papers, 1938-1978

Folder 5: Correspondence: To Leah K. Meyer from Mary Habecker, 1920-1931

Folder 6: Correspondence: To Leah K. Meyer from Assorted Family, 1925-1927

Series 3: Samuel and Jacob Gibble Meyer, 1884-1969

This series contains writing and documents pertaining to brothers Samuel G. Meyer (1885-1969) and Jacob G. Meyer (1884-1951). Jacob Gibble Meyer was president of Elizabethtown College from 1921-1924. Contents pertaining to Samuel G. Meyer include several written documents of church notes, lesson plans, and poems. Included is one binder of sermon notes and records of potential names of members of the Fredericksburg Church of the Brethren (later renamed Mount Zion Road Church of the Brethren) between 1917-1920. Another small book contains lesson plans, and loose papers contain poems written by S.G. Meyer, dating between 1910-1965. Correspondence related to S.G. Meyer’s involvement in church duties spans from 1914-1929 and include correspondents H.A. Merkey, Jacob G. Meyer, and Bernie Mendelson. Contents pertaining to Jacob G. Meyer include a book titled “Things Worth While,” authored by J.G. Meyer as a reflection on the sayings and teachings attributed to Jesus.

Box 2

Folder 7: Hardcover Binder of Sermon Notes (S.G. Meyer), 1917-1920

Folder 8: Samuel G. Meyer Papers and Books, 1910-1965

Folder 9: Correspondence: To Samuel G. Meyer, 1914-1929

Folder 10: Jacob G. Meyer, book: "Things Worth While"

Series 4: Ammon and Lucille Meyer, 1911-2008

This series contains correspondence, reports, notes, and sermons relevant to Ammon Meyer (1911-1991) and Lucille Wenger Meyer (1918-2008). Documents include a script for a play and letter of thanks from Elizabethtown College President Ralph Schlosser for Ammon Meyer’s involvement. Also included is a copy of the Camp Conewago newspaper from 1939, belonging to Lucille Wenger. Several of Lucille Wenger’s Bible School books from 1925-1929 contain written responses to assignments given during Bible School, held at the Union House or in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania. Reports, notes, and sermons mainly pertain to Ammon and Lucille Meyer’s work in various church positions. Contents include sermons given from the 1930s-1960s and materials relevant to Ammon Meyer’s ministry position from 1934 into the 1980s. Further papers detail Ammon and Lucille Meyer’s involvement in the Fredericksburg Church of the Brethren and their work as pastoral associates for the Post-30 Brethren Volunteer Service in various churches. These include the Black Rock, Lebanon, Hatfield, and Mount Zion Road Churches of the Brethren. Correspondence spans from 1934-1973 and is largely communication with family about daily life, though some correspondence is exchanged with various church members. Correspondents include Edward and Annis Wenger, Jacob Meyer, Ralph Schlosser, Lester Merkey, Norman Patrick, Robert Hess, Nevin Zuck, Harold Bomberger, and Earl Ziegler.

Box 2

Folder 11: Assorted Papers, 1939-1968

Folder 12: Lucille Wenger Bible School Books, 1925-1929

Box 3

Folder 1: Correspondence: To Lucille Wenger from mother, 1934-1936

Folder 2: Correspondence: To Lucille Wenger from mother, 1936-1937, undated

Folder 3: Correspondence: To Ammon and Lucille Meyer from Wenger parents, 1944-1954

Folder 4: Correspondence: To Ammon and Lucille Meyer from Wenger parents, 1954-1957

Folder 5: Correspondence: To Ammon and Lucille Meyer from Jacob G. Meyer, 1951

Folder 6: Sermons, 1934-1939

Folder 7: Sermons, 1940-1949

Box 4

Folder 1: Sermons, 1950-1959

Folder 2: Sermons, 1960-1965

Folder 3: Sermons, 1966-1969

Folder 4: Sermons, 1970-1976

Folder 5: Black Rock Pastoral Associate, 1976-1978

Folder 6: Sermons, Hatfield Post-30 Pastoral Associate, 1978

Folder 7: Sermons, 1979-1982

Folder 8: Sunday School Lessons, 1949-1986

Folder 9: Campfire and Vesper Talks, 1936-1958

Folder 10: Assorted Messages, 1937-1958

Folder 11: Church Membership Class

Box 5

Folder 1: Love Feast and Examination of Self, 1938-1979

Folder 2: Church History, 1935-1976

Folder 3: Funerals, 1959-1987

Folder 4: Weddings, 1943-1979

Folder 5: Social Action Work in District, 1962-1964

Folder 6: Lester Merkey, 1961-1973

Folder 7: Running a Church, 1956-1964

Folder 8: Pastoral Care, 1955-1966

Folder 9: Church Unity/Division, 1965

Folder 10: Notes of Appreciation for Ammon Meyer's Work, 1959-1984

Folder 11: Vacation Bible School: Director and Teacher Papers, 1935-1959

Folder 12: Heifer Project and World War II, 1937-1958

Folder 13: Heifer Project and World War II, 1992-1997

Folder 14: Lucille Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate Papers and Reports, 1975-1996

Folder 15: Lucille Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate, Lebanon Church, 1976

Folder 16: Lucille Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate Remembrance from Post-30, 1976-1977

Folder 17: Lucille Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate, Hatfield Church, 1978-1979

Folder 18: Ammon Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate Papers and Correspondence, 1975-1977

Folder 19: Ammon Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate, Lebanon Church, 1975-1976

Folder 20: Ammon Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate, Black Rock, 1976-1977

Folder 21: Ammon Meyer Post-30 Pastoral Associate, Hatfield Church, 1977-1978

Series 5: Postcards, 1904-1953

This series contains a variety of postcards to and from various members of the Meyer, Wenger, and Bucher families. Subjects include daily life, college, travel, holiday or birthday wishes, invitations, the passing of family members, church events and meetings, and visits to or from other family members. Correspondents write from various Pennsylvania towns: Quarryville, Fredericksburg, Lancaster, Jonestown, and Elizabethtown. Correspondents include Leah K. Meyer, Mary Habecker, Samuel G. Meyer, Ammon Meyer, George and Fianna P. Bucher, Leah Phillipy, Kathryn Giegler, Anna Royer and Jacob G. Meyer. Not included in this series are postcards to and from Fianna B. Meyer; postcards pertaining to her can be found in the series titled “Fianna Bucher Meyer.”

Box 5

Folder 22: Postcards: To Leah K. Meyer from Mary Habecker, 1916-1927, undated

Box 6

Folder 1: Postcards: To Leah K. Meyer from Mary Habecker, undated

Folder 2: Postcards: To Leah K. Meyer from Samuel G. and Ammon B. Meyer, 1915-1931, undated

Folder 3: Postcards: To Leah K. Meyer from Leah Phillipy, 1916-1921, undated

Folder 4: Postcards: To Leah K. Meyer, 1932-1937

Folder 5: Postcards: To Leah K. and Ammon B. Meyer from Fianna P. Bucher, 1917-1921, undated

Folder 6: Postcards: To Ammon Meyer from Samuel G. Meyer, 1917, undated

Folder 7: Postcards: To Ammon Meyer from aunts, uncles, and cousins, 1912-1919, undated

Folder 8: Postcards: To Ammon Meyer from Kathryn Giegler, 1916

Folder 9: Postcards: To Ammon and Lucille Meyer, 1939-1953, undated

Folder 10: Postcards: To George and Fianna Bucher from Ammon Meyer, 1917

Folder 11: Postcards: To Leah Phillipy from Siblings, 1908-1918, undated

Folder 12: To/From Samuel G. Meyer, 1908-1928, undated

Folder 13: Postcards: To Anna Royer, 1908-1910

Folder 14: Postcards: To/From Anna Royer and Jacob G. Meyer, 1906-1911

Folder 15: To/From Anna Royer and Jacob G. Meyer, 1911-1923, undated

Folder 16: Postcards: From Isaac Newton Harvey Beahm, 1908-1932

Series 6: Photographs, c. 1909-1973

This series contains a number of photographs of various members of the Meyer, Wenger, Bucher family. Contents include photographs of Samuel G. Meyer and Fianna Bucher Meyer, both separate and together, for their wedding in 1910. Photographs of Leah K. Meyer range from childhood into adulthood, approximately 1915-1973. Photographs of Phares and Mary Habecker show the couple together in their later years. Several undated photographs of Leah Phillipy are included. Photographs of assorted family members in group photographs at Elizabethtown College from 1909-1935 include Samuel G. Meyer, Edward Wenger, Ammon Meyer, Lucille Wenger, and Caleb Bucher. Several other undated photographs of other family members are included, as well as an assortment of photographs of Elizabethtown College from 1937-1948. These assorted photographs include photographs of Fairview Dorm, Alpha Hall, and Rider Hall, as well as photographs of Bible professor Martha Martin and the Elizabethtown Boy’s Quartet.

Box 6

Folder 17: Samuel G. and Fianna Bucher Meyer, 1910

Folder 18: Leah K. Meyer, 1915-1973

Folder 19: Phares and Mary Habecker, undated

Folder 20: Leah Phillipy, undated

Box 7

Folder 1: Meyer, Wenger, Bucher Family Members at Elizabethtown College, 1909-1935

Folder 2: Assorted Family Members, undated

Folder 3: Assorted Elizabethtown College Photographs, 1937-1948

Series 7: Miscellaneous, 1892-1983

This series contains articles, correspondence, and papers from various members of the Meyer, Wenger, and Bucher families. Correspondence between Edward M. and Annis B. Wenger from 1948 details daily life at home in Fredericksburg while Annis Wenger was traveling. Articles pertaining to Phares and Mary Habecker honor Phares Habecker’s years of career service and their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Other newspaper clippings and pamphlets record their deaths and obituaries in 1969. Further newspaper clippings include obituaries for Leah Phillipy and Rufus Phillipy. Newspaper articles highlighting the church service and achievements of William P. Bucher, Rufus Bucher, and Caleb Bucher are included in this series. Other items pertain to Mabel Bucher and Naomi Bucher, including funeral pamphlets from 1971 and 1970.

Box 7

Folder 4: Correspondence: Edward M. and Annis B. Wenger, 1948

Folder 5: Phares and Mary Habecker Articles and Pamphlets, 1892-1969

Folder 6: Phillipy-Habecker Article Clippings, 1927-1983

Folder 7: Bucher Family Members: Articles, Cards, and Pamphlets, 1950-1970s