Burgett-Irey Family Papers

This series includes creative and autobiographical accounts, family records, diaries, family genealogies, and newspaper clippings. The largest portion of the series documents June Irey Guild's Learning in Retirement courses, which she took from 1999 to 2009, the notes she kept as a guide at Historic Deerfield from 2001-2004 and the Sunday Services Committee meeting notes from 2004-2008. In addition to these accounts, documents from schools, churches, and organizations record the Irey family's social activities and involvement in the local community. Newspaper clippings contain stories of local interest and history, including a photo from the Oquawka Current showing Katherine and her sister Mary with classmates from Oquawka High School in 1922. One of the earliest documents is a page from the Youth Temperance Advocate in 1842 which includes a song, pledge and a cautionary tale about drinking. The most noteworthy pieces of this series include a birding journal written by Kenneth and Katherine and three remembrance booklets created by June Irey Guild in honor of her mother and father.

Katherine and Kenneth's "Bird Chase Book," chronicles their bird-watching trips from 1979 to 1989. In this journal, the Ireys document their birding adventures in great detail. The journal begins after the Ireys spotted their 700th bird species in 1980, a remarkable feat in the birding world. According to the American Birding Association (ABA) the Ireys were the first couple to spot 700 bird species. In 1980 and 1981 Katherine was ranked the top female birder in the nation. By 1992 the Ireys had spotted a total of 740 species.

The remembrance booklets entitled "Katherine Willard Burgett Irey," "Dad, Grandpa, Poppop: Kenneth Monroe Irey," and "The Irey Family: 1929-1930" were all compiled by June Guild as a means to commemorate the lives of her parents Kenneth and Katherine Irey; these booklets offer a comprehensive history for both Katherine and Kenneth.

The "Kenneth Monroe Irey" remembrance booklet contains three photocopied pieces originally written by Kenneth collaboratively with Katherine in 1979 and provides valuable biographical details and photographic evidence pertaining to the couple. Set in 1927, Kenneth's adventure story "California or Bust!" details his colorful road trip from Illinois to California at age 22, taken with three college friends in a Model-T Ford. In many ways, his retrospective travel narrative conveys the optimism of 1920s America. The second portion includes Kenneth's autobiographical account of his career history in the field of chemical engineering from 1930 until 1970. The final piece of the booklet includes a letter written by Kenneth and Katherine to their two children describing their plans for a bird-watching trip to Attu Island, Alaska.

The "Katherine Willard Burgett Irey" remembrance booklet records the memorial service held for Katherine Irey after her death in 2007. The booklet also contains information about Katherine's impressive bird-watching career, a pastime she thoroughly enjoyed with her husband during their retirement years. Included are two photocopied newspaper articles about Katherine and Kenneth and their birding exploits.

The "Irey Family" remembrance booklet documents Katherine and Kenneth's first ten years of marriage. The most noteworthy aspect of this booklet is the collection of photocopied family photos, the originals not being a part of the larger Burgett-Irey collection. The booklet was made by June Irey Guild as a Christmas present for her children and grandchildren and is comprised of different chapters she originally wrote for her autobiographical writing seminars.

This series contains letters written to and from the Burgett-Irey family. Approximately 250 of these letters were written between 1832-1936. Many of the letters concern health and death, depicting the effects of prominent illnesses of the times like small pox, consumption, typhoid fever and whooping cough. The comings and goings of various family members are chronicled as well as accounts of visitors, weather, and day to day life in the late 19th century to early 20th century. The more notable individuals highlighted in this series are James Holmes, Geo Stevenson, Louisa Gass Kessel, Samp King, Kenneth Irey, Katherine Burgett Irey, and June Irey Guild. Included are many letters to and from Louisa (Lou) Gass Kessel, Katherine's grandmother, between 1863-1904. Her experiences teaching in Illinois are a frequent topic as are her travels and friends.

Letters Katherine Burgett Irey wrote to her family in Illinois after marrying Kenneth in 1929 make up another segment of the collection. The letters document her life as a new wife and mother from 1929 to 1933, highlighting the day to day responsibilities of a married, middle class woman during the early 1930s. Of particular interest are three letters from March 1933 in which Katherine writes about the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Great Depression bank crises.

The letter written by James Holmes to his Mother, Rebecca Weakly Holmes Boden, is particularly interesting because it documents James's duties as a missionary to the Chickasaw Indians. Another letter written by James Holmes dated 1834 vividly details his grief over his mother's death and his religious beliefs.

George Stevenson's fiery letter to his friend Samuel Gass in 1834 on the topic of Temperance is also notable. It is obvious that the two men wrote back and forth on the subject and the debate intensified. Stevenson rebukes the ideology of Temperance and the actions of its supporters, pointing out the hypocrisy of some of the leaders of the movement and the poor decisions of their followers.

Letters from Samp King to Louisa Gass Kessel in 1871 delve into topics such as bigotry in the church, Temperance, health, quality of schools, business, anti-war Democrat "Copperheads" and elections. In one letter he recounts the story of a controversial trial of a boy accused of arson and killing his family.

The effects of the Civil War are noted in multiple letters. Cousin Bobby writes to Lousia Gass Kessel urging her to send him listings of men killed from his regiment. He writes of the enormous number of soldiers killed and quesses that he has seen an average of 13 soldiers die in the hospital every day. In a letter written by an unknown author, the effects of the war on daily life are noted from the suspension of mail delivery to rebel forces occupying and plundering homes.

Other letters in the series include mention of Abraham Lincoln's death in 1865, preserving food and growing flowers. The remainder of the correspondence is comprised of Christmas and birthday cards June Irey Guild received from friends and family, more contemporary family letters and emails.

Includes family photographs from the late 19th century, such as the circa 1880 photograph of Marion Weakley and the circa 1870s photograph album entitled "Boden Family Album". The album contains portraits of the Boden family members, distant relatives of the Burgetts. Also features the Alaska birding album of Katherine and Kenneth Irey as well as 35mm color slides of vacations taken by June Irey Guild and her second husband, Leonard Day.