HOFFMAN, Himema

HOFFMAN, WARNER, PARRISH, BROWN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/3/2015 at 03:28:56

BIOGRAPHY ~ HIMENA HOFFMAN

Himena Hoffman, author of The History of Decatur County, Iowa: 1839 - 1970 is the great granddaughter of pioneers of the County about which she writes. Her grandparents, Carl Jacob Hoffman and Susan Warner Hoffman, came by covered wagon from Darke County, Ohio, to Decatur County, Iowa, in 1854, bringing with them a six month old son, Calvin. Calvin Hoffman married Ellen Cyrena Parrish, who came from Sterling Valley, New York, to teach in the Decatur County Schools. Miss Hoffman was one of their nine children, and grew up hearing the tales of the pioneers, and with a sense of the continuity of her life with that of the County. She graduated from Simpson College, received an M.A. degree from the University of Iowa, and was a graduate student of Columbia University and the University of Virginia. She was a history teacher, and taught at Denison, and at Fort Dodge, Iowa, and for many years was Head of the Social Science Department and Dean of Girls at Pocatello, Idaho, but she began and ended her teaching career at Leon, Iowa, in her native County. She was one of the founders of the present Decatur County Historical Society and was its first president. She has donated any profits from this book to the Society, which is responsible for its publication. Nothing was more natural than that on her retirement she decided to write a history of that County, for she believes, as did the Captain J. D. Brown of this history, that she lives in the best country in the world, in the best state in the Nation, in the best County in that state and in the best town in that County, "and don't you forget it". ~ From inside of the dust jacket

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Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, November 2, 1922

MISS HIMENA HOFFMAN, Democratic candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was born in Leon, Iowa. Upon graduation from high school she received the high school honor scholarship and entered Simpson College, receiving a B.A. degree in 1912.

After three years of teaching at Leon, Ia., she received an appointment as an assistant in the State University with an opportunity to do graduate work at the same time. She received an M.A. degree in 1917 and since that time has continued graduate work and has matriculated at Columbia University with credits toward a Ph.D. degree.

From 1917 to 1921, MISS HOFFMAN was Supervisor of Normal Training at Denison, Iowa, where she came into direct touch with the work of the rural schools. At the present time, she is a teacher of history and government in the public schools of Fort Dodge. She is a member of the National Education Association and was a delegate to the national convention, and is also active in the state and local associations. MISS HOFFMAN is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the P.E.O., the Eastern Star, and the Legion Auxiliary.

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Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, November 9, 1922

MISS HIMENA HOFFMAN, Democratic candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, was given a majority in Decatur County, her vote being 2,767 to 2,634, a majority of 133, and on the other state offices, the Republican majority is more than 1,400, so that she ran nearly 1,600 ahead of her ticket in this county, which is a mighty fine compliment. MISS HOFFMAN, who is teaching in the Fort Dodge High School, had a majority in the city of Fort Dodge, and it is said this if the first time that a candidate on the Democratic state ticket ever had a majority in Fort Dodge, which speaks mighty highly of how MISS HOFFMAN is regarded where she is known.

Of course, she knew from the first that there was no possible chance to be elected, but returns like those from Decatur County and Fort Dodge should make her feel pretty good.

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Here's another item from Harry Graves. It shows how close we came to missing Himena Hoffman's wonderful "History of Decatur County." It was in the form of a letter requesting pre-publication payments in order that the book be published. Read on.

Leon, Iowa 50144
February 1, 1972
Dear Friend,

After a lifetime of work and research Miss Himena Hoffman has completed her History of Decatur County. This is the first complete and accurate history of this county to be written since 1915. The cost of publishing a book today is extremely high, so high in fact that the only way this book may be published is by raising funds through advance sales. Therefore, it is necessary to offer this book to the public a special pre-publication price of ten dollars per copy.

This is no flimsy paper back but a deluxe hardbound, gold stamped, six by nine edition that will be a handsome addition to anyone's bookshelf for years to come. Please understand that no one desires any personal gain from the sale of these books. This price is necessary solely to defray the costs entailed in starting the publication of this work.

The manuscripts and all rights have been turned over to the Decatur County Historical Society by Miss Hoffman so if any profit is ever realized for these sales it will go directly to that organization. By acting immediately you will not only aid in this most worthwhile of causes but will also realize a substantial savings. After June 1, 1972 no more pre-publication orders will be accepted and all books sold thereafter will cost fifteen dollars per copy.

I personally urge you to act today because this book simply cannot be published if sufficient pre-publication response isn't shown. Money from these orders will be deposited in an escrow account in the Decatur County State Bank.

In the event sufficient funds are not raised to publish this book you will receive a full refund. Please don't let this wonderful saga of Decatur County's past slip into oblivion. Place your pre-publication order on the enclosed form and please do it today. Thank you.

Very Truly Yours,
Signed: Harry L. Graves

NOTE: Himena Hoffman was born in 1889, and died in 1976. She was interred at Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa. There is a copy of her book at the Leon Public Library, Leon, Iowa. ~ SRB

Newspaper articles Copied Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert

Grave's letter copied and submitted by jack scott on 07 Mar 03 - and thank you, Harry!

The History of Decatur County, Iowa: 1839 - 1970
 

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