Register of the Kaufman (Mary) Collection, 1979-1991

Processed by Daryl Morrison; rev. by Don Walker; machine-readable finding aid created by Don Walker
Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
University Library, University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA 95211
Phone: (209) 946-2404
URL: https://www.pacific.edu/university-libraries/find/holt-atherton-special-collections
© 1998
University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.



Register of the Kaufman (Mary) Collection, 1979-1991

Collection number: Mss26

Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

University Library

University of the Pacific

Contact Information

Processed by:
Daryl Morrison; rev. by Don Walker
Date Completed:
December 1998
Encoded by:
Don Walker
© 1998 University of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Kaufman (Mary) Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1979-1991
Collection number: Mss26
Creator: Mary Kaufman
Extent: 0.5 linear ft.
Repository: University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections
Stockton, CA 95211
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Kaufman (Mary) Collection, Mss26, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Access Points

personal name

Schuller family
Kaufman family
Kaufman, Mary Louise Schuller Marconi (b. 1899)
Marconi, John Alva (b. 1925)
Kaufman, Kenneth

corporate name

Pacific Pea Packing Company (Oakdale, Calif.)

subject

Women ranchers -California -Oakdale
Women cannery workers -California -Oakdale
German Americans -California -Valley Home
Dairy farmers -California -Oakdale
Sheep ranchers -California -Oakdale
Baseball for children
Earthquakes -California -Loma Prieta -October 17, 1989
Thalheim (Calif.) -History -Sources
Valley Home (Calif.) -History -Sources
Oakdale (Calif.) -History -Sources

Biography

Mary Kaufman (b. 1899) is the daughter of Austrian immigrant Frederick Schuller (b. 1866) and Rose Schmidt. Schuller first farmed in Ohio, then came to California (1907), where he bought fifty acres of land in Talheim, Stanislaus County. Due to World War I era anti-German feeling, this community soon changed its name to Valley Home. Mary was the second of eight children. She first married Oakdale cattle, sheep and dairyman, John Marconi (1919), and they had one son, also named John (b. 1925), before Marconi died from an accidental gunshot wound (1932), leaving his wife to operate their dairy alone. John Marconi Jr. served in the Navy during World War II. After the War Mary Marconi married Oakdale canner, Kenneth Kaufman (1947). Kaufman's company canned peas, spinach and peaches under the Pacific Pea Packing label. Mary Kaufman worked at the cannery until her retirement.

Scope and Content

The Kaufman Collection consists of: Daryl Morrison's taped interviews with Mary Kaufman (1990-1991) in which the latter discusses her childhood home at Valley Home, her roles as rancher's wife, mother and cannery employee; a "Valley Home Cookbook" with historical notes about the settlement and its inhabitants; and, a few clippings and photographs of the Valley Home area.

 

BOX 1: MARY KAUFMAN COLLECTION

 

1.1: Audio tapes of interviews with Mary Kaufman, 1990-1991

 

a-Two cassettes, 12-17-90

 

b-Two cassettes, 11-28-91

 

1.2: Interview transcript and computer disks

 

1.3: Valley Home history

 

a-Synopsis of Valley Home history by Mary Kaufman

 

b-"The metropolis that isn't," Modesto Bee (4-1-86)

 

1.4: Interviewer notes and correspondence with Mary Kaufman

 

1.5: "Valley Home Cookbook" [incl. historical notes]

 

1.6: Photographs

 

a-Valley Home General Store

 

b-Southern Pacific train depot, c1910

 

c-Group incl. Mary Kaufman [color]