SLOVIE KISSIN-MARVER:

The reminiscence, entitled "Mamma and Papa's Legacy," recalls Kissin-Marver's parents, particularly her father, Rabbi Wolfe Kissin, a Sephardic Jew from Latvia who emigrated to the United States in 1902. Rabbi Kissin started a private Hebrew school in St. Paul called Reverend Kissin's Parochial School (1904); worked as a school principal in Duluth, Minnesota (1911-1913); and served as a fund raiser and superintendent with the Jewish Home for the Aged of the Northwest in St. Paul. Kissin-Marver also recalls her childhood during the early 1900s on a five-acre farm called Slingerlands Place near the community of East Shore Park on White Bear Lake. She describes the family home; their neighbors; gardening; her mother's domestic activities such as baking, sewing, and laundry; the family cow; winter storms; and various recreational activities. There is also a letter (May 5, 1979) from Kissin-Marver's brother Alfred, in which he discusses his memories of people and events not covered in Slovie's reminiscence.

The autobiographical sketch briefly discusses Kissin-Marver's genealogy, her education, her marriage to Bernard S. Marver (1924), the birth of their three sons, her husband's work in clothing and general stores, and her teaching and civic activities while living in South Dakota (1928-1936).

Kissin-Marver returned to St. Paul in 1937 and the remainder of the autobiographical material, including the correspondence and newspaper clippings, constitute a resume of her community service as a member and officer in several civic, religious, and educational organizations (1937-1965). The more prominent activities and organizations include the Minnesota United Nations Association, the American Association of the United Nations, the Jewish Federation of Womens' Organizations, the International Institute, Minnesota UNESCO projects chairman (1953-1955), the March of Dimes, the Inter Club Council, the St. Paul Jewish Council, the Young Women's Christian Association, the Jewish Home for the Aged of the Northwest, state chairman for United Nations Day (1957), the steering committee for the World Health Organization Assembly held in St. Paul (1958), the St. Paul Council of Human Relations, St. Paul's representative on the Twin Cities Metropolitan Planning Commission (1964), and St. Paul's "City Hostess" (1965).

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Slovie Kissin-Marver Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,831

Processing Information:

Processed by: Frank P. Hennessy, October 1993

Catalog ID number: 990017299890104294

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An oral history audio tape regarding the Kissen family is in the Minnesota Historical Society sound and visual collections.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Jews -- Minnesota.

Jewish educators -- Minnesota.

Jewish day schools -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Jewish families -- Minnesota.

Farm life -- Minnesota -- White Bear Lake.

Civic leaders -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Jewish women -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Persons:

Kissin, Wolfe, -1945.

Kissin family.

Organizations:

American Association for the United Nations.

Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota.

Jewish Home for the Aged of the Northwest (Saint Paul, Minn.).

Minnesota United Nations Association.

World Health Assembly (11th : 1958 : Minneapolis, Minn.).

Places:

Saint Paul (Minn.) -- Officials and employees.

White Bear Lake (Minn.).

Document Types:

Reminiscences.

Occupations:

Rabbis.

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