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Helen Liszka Marx Diaries, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
The materials were acquired by Special Collections Research Center on 00/00/2008.
May 19, 1916-February 25, 2008
Died in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Per obituary, she was a member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, where she was also a life time member of the Pilot Club and the Women’s Guild. She loved animals and was always faithful in feeding her birds. Her late husband, Nester L. Marx, owned and operated Adjustment Service of Knoxville. When he died in 1975, Helen took over the company until she retired. Preceded in death by her husband, Nester L. Marx; her parents, Vin and Helen Liszka; sisters, Leona Trapler and Evelyn Dombrowski; and her uncle Chester. She leaves to cherish her memories: nephew Steve Dombrowski and his wife Kathy; nieces, Debbie and husband Jacob, Denise, Donna and husband Eric, and Carol and husband Jack.
Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the
The diaries of Helen Liszka Marx are two notepads, one with personal information such as poems and addresses, and the other a diary of her travels from Chicago to Ohio, Vermont, Oklahoma, and Missouri from June 1935 to August 1936.
This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Flip notepad with Miss Helen Liszka and August 13, 1935 written on the first page. The notepad includes poems, words with definitions, a list of books, reading list, accounts, draft or copy of a letter, birthdays, and addresses.
Flip notepad within a cover entitled “The Handy Scratch-Pad,” June 1935 to August 1936. The notepad begins June 18, 1935 on a trip from Chicago, Illinois to Ogdensburg via Ohio and New York and a visit with family. It appears that Chicago is the family’s home. The author sees the ferry from Port Kent as it travels across Lake Champlain to Burlington, Vermont. The author then travels to Auburn and secures housing. She talks of the crew being delayed because of rain and their activities around Auburn. She, her family and crew go somewhere near the Alleghany River. In August, they move near Dayton, Ohio then through the Alleghany Mountains to Soloman. On September 20, they leave for Lafayette, Indiana. In October, they return to Chicago for an operation for Pauline then go to Tulsa, Oklahoma. On December 21, they move to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma then Shawnee, Oklahoma. In January to April 1935, they move to Tuskegee then Springfield, Missouri, Mt. Grove, Missouri, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Piqua, Ohio and Dayton, Ohio. In August, they visit family in Chicago. During all of the travels she describes the trips and the towns, and tells of their daily activities. Her social life includes contract bridge, movies, dining at restaurants and shopping. She provides the title of each movie she sees. Her daily activities include washing dishes, cleaning, ironing, reading and cooking. She calls their group “gypsies.” Her companions and/or family are Nat, Pauline, Nester, Clarence and Dave. She has glued in a few items such as photographs, postcards and the new tax tokens used in Oklahoma. She does not mention the nature of the work of the men, but it is affected by the unusual amount of rain during 1935.