The Gordon and Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph Collection contains materials from their life, and from that of Sally’s parents, Rev. John and Lydia (sayler) Hochstatter. The collection consistis primarily of correspondence including 655 postcards, envelopes, and some letters. Also included are family history documents, religious certificates and documents, and dolls and doll furniture. The collection has been arranged into 10 series: Correspondence, Postcard & Card, Photograph, Recipe Book, Religious Documents, Family History & Documents, Book, Certificate, Scrapbook, 3-D.

The Correspondence Series contains envelopes and letters sent or received by various family members, spanning from 1913-1994. The bulk of the envelopes were from 1920-1960, the bulk of the letters were from 1920-1940.

The Postcard and Card Series contains 655 postcards, 30 Valentine’s, and 71 Christmas or other holiday cards. The postcards are to various Rudolph, Sayler, and Hochstatter family members with the bulk being received by Lydia (Sayler) Hochstatter and John Hochstatter. The postcards range in date from 1905-1956. Most of the Valentines and other cards were received by the Hochstatter family.

The Photograph Series contains negatives and photographs of Rudolph, Sayler, and Hochstatter family members. Included is a small photograph album of the Sayler Family.

The Recipe Book Series contains recipes from five cookbooks, owned by Lydia Sayler. The Chicago Training School Recipes Book was created while Lydia was in Chicago, beginning in 1916. Four of the books are notebooks into which the recipes have been handwritten or cut and pasted.

The Religious Documents Series contains various items from Rev. John Hochstatter’s time as a pastor and other family religious documents. Included are John’s dissertation, Ruth Hochstatter’s Confirmation book, a Pocket Prayer book, and various church program booklets.

The Family History & Documents Series contains two publications on the family and information on where they settled. Lydia Hochstatter’s Autograph book contains vital records for family members. Also included are newspaper clippings with stories about family members, family record pages removed from a Bible, Lydia’s 1907 school notebook, and pattern making lessons from the White Sewing Machine Company.

The Book Series contains three books. The Holy Bible, ABC, Buchstabir und Lesebuch, zum Gebrauch für deutsche Schulen in den Vereinigten Staaten by Johann Conrad Reissner and Die Abendmahlslehre der Reformirten Kirche by Dr. J. G. Zahner.

The Certificate Series contains two diplomas, one for John Hochstatter from Redfield College and one for Lydia Sayler Hochstatter from the Congregational Training School for Women. There are four filled in Baptismal Certificates one each for Calvin Brunmeier, Albert Jacob Brunmeier, Arthur H. Kitsman, and Doris Maxine Lebsack. There are also two blank baptismal certificates that Rev. John Hochstatter would have used. There is one Confirmation Certificate from Salome Ruth Hochstatter and one blank wedding certificate.

The Scrapbook Series contains four scrapbooks. The contents include mostly ephemera collected by Sally (Hochstatter) Rudolph.

The 3-D Series contains three dolls, two parasols, a doll quilt, a wedding hair wreath, baby cap, paperweight, rosary, notarial seals, a few scraps of fabric, a doll chest, doll cradle, and a doll carriage.

The black, mammy cloth doll is named Mathilda. She was made by Lillie Hochstatter before 1920 at Java, SD, used by niece Ruthie “Sally” Hochstatter in Jordan, MT and Yakima, WA as a child. The rag doll was accompanied by a nota, “My own Dollie May, Homestead Jordan Montana 1920?, Friend of Mathilda (Black), Lillie Hochstatter, Valuable 1917, shoe button eyes”.

The wedding hair wreath was worn by Lydia Sayler for her wedding to John Hochstatter, 1913.

Both the doll chest and cradle were made in public school “manual training” of wood craft skills by an unnamed youth from John Hochstatter’s church, “26 December 1926 at Christmas program/gift exchange” (as an inside inscription of trinket box’s lid). These two gifts were given to young Angela Sayler from Mrs. Velinsky in 1926; Angela also was gifted a “plate”. Angela comments from written note: “I was extremely blessed to have loved these items for 1930.” The doll carriage is a 1890s type with a wooden construction on a metal base frame and wheels.