Proft Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: MC 2551

Staff Only
Select files to request

Content Description

The collection consists of records relating to the Proft family, and particularly to Paul Otto Proft and his wife, Florence Ellenor Beers Proft. Many Proft family members lived in Mena, Arkansas and Polk County; the collection particularly includes materials related to Mena's Trinity Lutheran Church. Materials include scrapbooks, correspondence, photographs, vital records, memoirs, and genealogical research. Much of the genealogical research was compiled by Helena Beers Buechner.

Dates

circa 1870-2020

Creator

Proft family (Family)

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Conditions Governing Use

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical / Historical

Many members of the Proft family lived in Polk County, Arkansas, as did members of the related Sunderman family. George Sunderman and his family were charter members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Mena.

Florence Ellenor Beers (1926-2019) was born in South Dakota before moving to Arkansas, via covered wagon, as a child. In 1945, she married Paul Otto Proft (1921-1998); following World War II, the couple moved to Michigan, where Florence Proft worked as an elementary school teacher. After retiring, they moved back to Mena.

Additional genealogical and biographical information about Proft family members is available in Series 1-2 of the collection.

Extent

6.5 Linear Feet (5 boxes and 1 oversize folder)

3.95 Gigabytes (1,023 files)

Additional Description

Arrangement

Materials are arranged by topic in three series:

Series 1. Genealogical research and writings
Series 2. Family papers and photographs
Series 3. Arkansas materials

The collection donor commissioned the digitization of the bulk of collection materials prior to donation; these files were transferred to Special Collections along with the physical collection materials. When digital files are available, this has been noted at the file or item-level, and these files are available to view in the Special Collections Reading Room. However, the presence of digital materials for a folder does not mean that all of a folder's contents have been digitized. In general, original file names have been retained, but digital folder structures have been rearranged to match the organization of the physical collection.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Proft Family Papers were donated to Special Collections by Lenora Sumsky of Manchester, Connecticut on October 6, 2021. The materials were part of the estate of Sumsky's parents, Paul Otto Proft and Florence Eleanor Beers Proft of Mena, Arkansas.