Kizer Family [RG3646.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3646.AM:  Kizer Family

Papers:  1897-1933

Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb.:  

Size:  3.0 cu.ft.; 6 boxes

BACKGROUND NOTE

Jacob R. Kizer was born in 1833 near Cincinnati, Ohio. His family moved outside of Springfield, Illinois, when he was three. In 1857 Jacob went to Marion Co., Missouri, and then to Louisiana, Pike County, Missouri, where he engaged in mercantile business from 1859-1889. He and his wife went to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1899 where he and his son, Joseph Leslie Kizer, began Kizer and Son, Co. He died in 1910.

Joseph L. Kizer, son of Jacob R. and Elizabeth M. Kizer, was born in 1870 in Louisiana, Missouri. He graduated from McCune College there and then worked for eight years with his father in general merchandising. He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1897, where he became a partner in a wholesale and retail book firm. In 1899, with the help of his father, this business expanded into Kizer and Son Company, dealers of china, glass, earthenware, lamps, lamp goods, wall paper, books, stationery, tin, and sheet metal goods.

By 1910 Kizer and Son was no longer in business, and Joseph Leslie Kizer was District Superintendent of the Bradstreet Company for ten years. He was later vice-president of the Wentz Auto Company. In 1919 he became examiner for the State Bureau of Securities. A year later he was named to head the State Insurance Department. He retired in 1931 to manage his own real estate holdings. He died in 1954.

Charlotte Elizabeth Kizer was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Joseph Leslie and Belle Wilson Kizer, in 1901. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1918. She received a B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska in 1923 and an M.A. from Columbia in 1928. She served as Supervisor of Art and Penmanship in York, Nebraska, 1923-1925; Art Instructor in Lansing, Michigan, 1925-1926; and Supervisor of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska City Schools, in 1926.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of six boxes of manuscript material arranged in nine series: 1) Invoices and Receipts, 1897-1903; 2) Correspondence – Business, 1899-1910; 3) Correspondence – J.L. Kizer, 1910-1916; 4) Correspondence – Kizer Family, 1899-1929; 5) Ledgers, 1912-1927; 6) Diaries, 1930; 7) Sigma Kappa Sorority Records, 1929-1933; 8) Photographs; and 9) Miscellaneous. The bulk of the collection relates to the Kizer and Son Company of Lincoln, Nebraska, merchandisers of china, glass, earthenware, lamps, lamp goods, wall paper, books, stationery, and tin and sheet metal goods. The remainder of the collection contains items relating to Charlotte K. Kizer’s years as a student at Lincoln High School, her sorority records, and her career as an Art Instructor.

Series 1 consists primarily of invoices, 1897-1903, of items ordered by Kizer and Son, Co. of Lincoln, Nebraska. One folder of receipts, 1895-1899, is included showing items bought from Kizer and Son, primarily in March of 1896. The Correspondence – Business, 1899-1920, of Series 2 deals primarily with orders for Kizer and Son and includes price quotations. These are arranged alphabetically for the years covered. Series 3 consists of Joseph L. Kizer’s correspondence to and from various land and irrigation companies, 1910-1916, primarily discussing the possibility of the irrigation of Kizer’s land in Colorado. Series 4 contains a fractional amount of family correspondence, to and from members of the Kizer family.

Three of the ledgers in Series 5 deal with Kizer and Son, Co. These show trade discounts, credit, expenses, and bank holdings. The other three ledgers were owned by T.S. Wilson, Joseph Leslie Kizer’s father-in-law. These include a Workman’s Time Book, a Bank Book, and a Day Book. The two diaries in Series 6 were kept by Charlotte Elizabeth Kizer during her European trip and during a trip to Detroit, Niagara, Buffalo, Syracuse, and New York City. Series 7 contains Sigma Kappa Sorority material kept by Charlotte K. Kizer. This includes financial records, building fund records, convention programs and a drawing of the sorority house. The photographs in Series 8 are of Charlotte E. Kizer and her friends, mostly unidentified. Series 9 contains volumes of Art Supply Books, Autograph Books, an Envelope Order Book, and lectures from LaSalle Extension University in Chicago, 1920-1921. Material in the folder includes Lincoln High School graduation memorabilia, a speech given by J.L. Kizer, lesson plans of Charlotte E. Kizer, certificates, newspaper clippings, and insurance information.

DESCRIPTION

Series 1 – Invoices and Receipts, 1897-1903

1. 1. 1897, Dec. 14 – 1899, Jan. 1

1. 1. 1899-1900

1. 1. 1900

4. 4. 1901, Feb. 1 – 1902, Feb. 1

4. 4. 1901-1903

4. 4. Receipts, 1895-1899 (primarily March 4-March 6, 1896)

Series 2 – Correspondence – Business, 1899-1910

1. 1. 1899, A-G

1. 1. 1899, H-O

1. 1. 1899, P-Z

1. 1. Price quotations, 1899-1900, A-H

1. 1. Price quotations, 1899-1900, I-Z

6. 6. 1900-1903, A-F

6. 6. 1900-1903, G-L

6. 6. 1900-1903, M-Z

6. 6. 1904-1910, A-J

6. 6. 1904-1910, K-V

6. 6. 1904-1910, W-Z (and miscellaneous)

Series 3 – Correspondence – J.L. Kizer, 1910-1916

1. 1. To and from Land Irrigation Companies, 1910-1916

Series 4 – Correspondence – Kizer Family, 1899-1929

1. 1. To and from members of the Kizer family, 1899-1929

Series 5 – Ledgers, 1912-1927

1. 1. Ledger of Accounts of Kizer and Son Co., 1897-1903 (See oversize)

1. 1. Trade Discounts, etc., Kizer and Son Co.

1. 1. Ledger of Expenses and Credits, 1914-1922 – Kizer and Son, Co.

1. 1. Workman’s Time Book, 1926-1927 – owned by T.S. Wilson (J.L. Kizer’s father-in-law)

1. 1. Bank Book, 1912-1919, of T.S. Wilson

1. 1. Day Book, 1918 – money owed and paid to T.S. Wilson

Series 6 – Diaries, 1930

1. 1. European trip, 1930

1. 1. Trip to Detroit, Niagara, Buffalo, Syracuse, and New York City

Series 7 – Sigma Kappa Sorority Records, 1929-1933

1. 1. Financial Records, 1929-1933

1. 1. Building Fund, 1929-1930

1. 1. Programs for conventions, loose financial sheets, and drawing of sorority house

Series 8 – Photographs

1. 1. Charlotte Elizabeth Kizer and friends

Series 9 – Miscellaneous

1. 1. Art Supply Books owned by Charlotte E. Kizer

1. 1. Art Supply Books owned by Charlotte E. Kizer

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Autograph Book

1. 1. Envelope order book

1. 1. Lectures from LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1920-1921 – Business courses

1. 1. Lectures from LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1920-1921 – Business courses

1. 1. Lectures from LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1920-1921 – Business courses

1. 1. Lectures from LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1920-1921 – Business courses

1. 1. Lectures from LaSalle Extension University, Chicago, Illinois, 1920-1921 – Business courses

1. 1. Includes Lincoln High School graduation memorabilia; Speech of Joseph Leslie Kizer; Charlotte E. Kizer’s lesson plans; certificates; newspaper clippings; and insurance information

ADDED ENTRIES:

Art

Education — Nebraska — Lancaster County

Europe — Description and travel

Fraternal organizations — Nebraska

Kizer, Charlotte E., 1901-1989

Kizer, Jacob R., 1833-1910

Kizer, Joseph L., 1870-1954

Kizer family

Kizer & Son Co. (Lincoln, Neb.)

Lincoln (Neb.) — Businesses

Merchants — Nebraska — Lincoln

Sigma Kappa Sorority

AIF   12-12-1979

Encoded TMM   05-25-2010