Name/Title
Letter: Willard Seiberling to his children and Irene Seiberling HarrisonEntry/Object ID
A 2025.16.b1.f5.29abDescription
[a] The letter is addressed to "Dear Children" and is a copy sent to Irene Seiberling Harrison. The writer opens the letter with reference to cousin Cate Seiberling Stewart and their efforts to start treasure chests for Bonnie and Harry when they were young and put newspapers clippings and other family connection items to be treasured in later years. The writer mentions being a saver of things of sentimental value and believes as they get older, the readers will be glad to preserve family memories and history. The writer references an enclosed newspaper clipping from the Plain Dealer about Grandmother Seiberling and Aunt Irene. The writer goes on to describe Grandmother Seiberling's qualities and hopes the readers will get into the habit of saving things of family significance. The writer closes the letter with "Yours for the family archives" and signs it "Willard" in red pencil. Additionally, the writer adds a handwritten side note in red pencil to Irene about forwarding the clipping to Gertsie, or if she would like to keep it.
[b] Laminated Cleveland Plain Dealer article dated Friday, September 10, 1954, titled "Drum Up trade for Akron Music" featuring Tuesday Musical Club information, current efforts, and references to founder Gertrude Seiberling and Irene Seiberling Harrison.Subject Person/Organization
Seiberling, Willard Penfield, Harrison, Irene Seiberling, Seiberling, Gertrude Penfield, Stewart, Catherine SeiberlingCollection
PERMANENT COLLECTIONCataloged By
Katrina NeffAcquisition
Accession
A 2025.16Source or Donor
UnknownAcquisition Method
FoundLetter Details
Letter Date
Sep 13, 1954Primary Language
EnglishTranscription
Transcription
September 13, 1954
Dear Children:
A number of times I have commented on how Cousin Cate Seiberling Stewart started treasure chests for Bonnie and Harry when they were quite young and that over the years she kept putting into these treasure chests newspaper clippings and other items that would be treasured in later years because of their family connection.
All my life I have been a saver of things of sentimental value. In my files I have several treasure chests.
When you are young you are not as apt to be interested in keeping a treasure chest but as you get older you will be glad to preserve happy memories and important history connected with your family.
Enclosed is a clipping from the Plain Dealer in which I have marked the paragraphs that give you some history about your Grandmother Seiberling and your Aunt Irene. This particular clipping may not mean much to you but it brings back many memories to me as I lived through the period when Mother was so active in the Tuesday Musical Club and later on became active in the National Federation of Music Clubs.
Your Grandmother Seiberling was a remarkable woman. She was talented in music, in art, in dramatics and in other ways such as her ability to compose poetry and express herself well in prose. Since talents are passed along to the second and third generations you children have inherited some of her qualities.
I don’t know that you will want to preserve this particular clipping but I do hope that as time goes on you will get into the habit more and more of preserving memories by saving things that have a family significance.
Yours for the family archives,
vj
att.
Irene
I thought you might want to forward the attached to Gertsie; or if you want to keep it, please send the “Tribute” on to Gertsie.
WillardTranscriber
Cindi RokeLanguage
EnglishCreate Date
May 4, 2026Update Date
July 8, 2026
