Dengler, Eartha
Eartha Dengler (1922-2014) was a longtime resident of Andover who was dedicated to the preservation of local history. Born near Hamburg, Germany, Dengler emigrated to the United States in 1951 after surviving the hardships of World War II [1]. In 1978, when the Lawrence YWCA decided it no longer wanted to house documents from early female immigrants, she decided the documents were too important to discard [2]. In order to save them she founded the Immigrant City Archives, which would go on to be renamed the Lawrence History Center. She was admired for her dedication to sharing the stories of immigrants and the everyday people of Lawrence [3]. Materials from the Lawrence History Center were included the 1995 book Lawrence, Massachusetts, an extensive photographic history of the city which Dengler co-authored as part of the Images of America series.
Dengler's legacy is carried on through The Lawrence History Center's Eartha Dengler History Award which recognizes community members who have made admirable efforts to preserve and contribute to Lawrence’s rich history [4]. In 2009 Dengler was a recipient of the Outstanding American By Choice award for her contributions to the community and country as a naturalized citizen [5].
References
- ↑ “Our Founder, Eartha Dengler.” https://lawrencehistory.org/earthadengler. Lawrence History Center. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ "Immigrant City Archives Founder Lauded for Preserving History." https://www.eagletribune.com/news/local_news/former-andover-woman-lauded-for-preserving-history/article_8682da7c-1b8e-5dce-9c5c-9bd9c669dff1.html. Eagle Tribune, September 20, 2009
- ↑ “Friends remember Andover founder of Immigrant City Archives remembered.” https://www.andovertownsman.com/news/local_news/friends-remember-andover-founder-of-immigrant-city-archives-remembered/article_37fa3b2b-d2df-53ea-9446-a052ab798ed8.html. Andover Townsman (MA), 2014. America’s News, Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ “Eartha Dengler History Award Ceremony.” https://lawrencehistory.org/dengler. Lawrence History Center. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.
- ↑ “Eartha Dengler, Founder, Immigrant City Archives, Lawrence, MA.”
See Also
- Eartha Day: Former Andoverite Dengler Honored as Outstanding American. (winner of Outstanding American by Choice Initiative, awarded by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.) (photo) Andover Townsman September 17, 2009, p.1, 2.
--Eleanor 14:27, April 10, 2012 (EDT)--Leslie 16:36, September 7, 2012 (EDT), --Shannon (talk), 10 March 2024 (EST)
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