Arlene Ivie GRAHAM, the only child of John and Lena (MAY) GRAHAM, was born on June 6, 1908 in Blythedale, Missouri. In 1923, Arlene GRAHAM and her mother moved to a farm south of Mount Ayr, Iowa. Married and widowed three times throughout her life, Arlene GRAHAM’s main relationships were with her daughter and her mother. Described by her cousin Linda SMITH as an “everyday woman” with an eighth-grade education, Arlene GRAHAM worked as a housekeeper and washerwoman in several Mount Ayr homes while raising a daughter. The majority of her days were spent busy with domestic chores. Several of her clients were lawyers and judges of Ringgold County; they helped GRAHAM through her divorce and with raising Ruby.

Arlene GRAHAM’s first marriage occurred in 1931. She married Ralph HOPKINS; they had one child, Ruby Kathleen HOPKINS. This marriage was apparently an abusive one; the donor described Arlene HOPKINS during this time as a "battered wife." After divorcing Ralph HOPKINS, Arlene Hopkins married John Henry HALL in 1936. This union was a happier one; after the death of her third husband, Arlene HALL kept her second husband’s name for the rest of her life. John HALL worked as a barber in Mount Ayr. In 1949, Arlene, John, and Ruby HALL joined the Baptist Church. John HALL died in 1960. In 1962, Arlene HALL married Frank PORTER, who passed away in 1963. In her later years, after Frank PORTER’s death, Arlene HALL sold greeting cards and Avon supplies to supplement her income.

In 1985, Arlene HALL entered the Health Care Center in Mount Ayr, where she resided until her death in 1999. There, she was known for her love of a good card game and for the thoughtful greeting cards she sent. Arlene HALL was not close to her daughter during her last years.

Arlene's cousin Linda SMITH donated Arlene's documents, papers, and photographs to the Iowa Women's Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries at Iowa City, Iowa. Arlene's archived materials include a series of thirteen journals and diaries from the 1930's to 1995.

http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/findingaids/html/HallArlene.htm

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2009