Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Grace Mensinger fonds |
| Reference code: | 0160 |
| Date: | 1928-2004 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 4 cm textual records
2 photographs |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processed by Karen Burgess, June 2004 Added to new database August 2024 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
Grace Adria Mensinger was born in Minot, North Dakota on January 29, 1903. Her parents, Etta and John Base and her older brother, Frank, homesteaded in the Vulcan area in 1905. She also had a sister, Beverly. Grace married Benjamin Mensinger of Vulcan and had three daughters. In 1937, having separated from her husband, Grace moved to Grande Prairie with her daughters in order to be near her sister and her parents who had moved there in 1927. In 1941, Grace and Beverly founded The Beverly Style Shoppe, a ladies ready-to-wear, which they operated until 1963.
Grace was active in the United Church and the Women’s Institute and participated in the WI’s writing competitions. In 1978 she enrolled in a history course in Grande Prairie Regional College. Besides her love of writing, she enjoyed traveling and reading.
Grace died in Calgary in 1986.
Custodial history
The records were donated to the Grande Prairie Regional Archives by Marjorie Given, Grace Mensinger’s daughter, in June, 2004.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of memoirs including pictures, essays, Beverly Style Shoppe records, and records of involvement with Women’s Institute.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Access points
- Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Family and personal life* (subject)
- Women (subject)
Table of contents
0160.01, Personal Papers, 1928-2004
0160.03, Beverly Style Shoppe, 1942-1963
0160.04, Women’s Institute, 1928-1980
Series descriptions
| Series 0160.01: Personal Papers
Date: 1928-2004 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of stories, memories, vignettes and musings and a 1971 diary of a tour of the Holy Land. Other titles include “Pioneer Memories,” “The Circus,” “A Tear for Lynda,” “Paul’s Lucky Shot,” “The Letter,” “Lost and Found,” “The Cage,” “A Cupful of Memories,” “Good and Evil,” “Charm,” “The Horoscope,” “My Daughters,” “Sports’ Story,” “The Wapiti Woods,” “Reach for the Top,” “Mile Zero – Alaska Highway,” “King of the Road,” “Our English Friend,” “A Friend for an Hour is a Friend Forever,” “The Coat,” “Retirement on Wings,” “The Mirror,” “The Quilt,” “How the Giraffe Lost its Voice,” “Life in the Pink,” and “Phyllis and Friends.” The photographs are of Grace’s parents home and a view of the banks of Bear Creek. Included in the collection is a eulogy for Paula Uswell which gives a tribute to Mrs. Mensinger. Physical description: 2 cm textual records 2 photographs Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) • Graphic material – photograph (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
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| File / item list | |||
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0160.01.01 | Item – Grace Mensinger’s Parents’ Home | 1928 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 3 x 5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Home of Etta and John Base, showing daughter Beverly (of Beverly Style Shoppe) sitting on the railing of the front porch. |
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| 0160.01.02 | Item – Looking south Across Bear Creek | 1928 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 3 x 5 in. |
| Scope and content:
View from the porch of Etta and John Base’s home in Grande Prairie. |
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| 0160.01.03 | Item – Pioneer Memories and Other Stories | 2004 | 1 book |
| Scope and content:
A book, compiled by Grace Mensinger of pioneer memories and stories. |
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| Series 0160.02: Essays
Date: 1975-1979 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of essays written for a course taken at the Grande Prairie Regional College in 1978-79, book reviews, and writings related to a United Church study group. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
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| Series 0160.03: Beverly Style Shoppe
Date: 1942-1963 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of descriptions and commentaries from 2 fashion shows, news articles covering the opening of the shop in 1942 and several fashion shows in the 1950s, and “The Curtain Falls,” written by Grace when the shop closed in 1963. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
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| Series 0160.04: Women’s Institute
Date: 1928-1980 (date of creation) Scope and content: The series consists of an address, “Making Farm Life Easier for Women,” and several news articles related to Mrs. Mensinger’s involvement in the Women’s Institute. Most of the records in this series are copies. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
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