Reinstra-Larcome Family Papers
Scope and Content Note
This collection includes newspaper clippings collected by Betty Rienstra on various topics that were of interest to her. Agendas, business records, notes, and correspondence from organizations she belonged to are also included.
Louise Larcome’s contribution to the collection includes yearbooks of 1917 and 1918 from South Park High School as well as her personal high school notebook. Family photographs, legal documents, books, pocket watches, memorabilia from baseball games, and from entertainment events also are a part of her collection.
Dates
- 1917-2012
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials are in English.
Access Restrictions
Some restrictions may apply.
Copyright
The Tyrrell Historical Library does not hold copyright for most of its collections. The researcher must secure permission to publish. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Tyrrell Historical Library. The researcher assumes full responsibility for complying with copyright, literary property rights, and libel laws.
Biographical Note
Betty Rienstra was born August 19, 1923, in Beaumont, Texas, where her father was employed by Pure Oil Company. Betty’s father was later transferred to Newark, Ohio, where she graduated from Newark High School and then completed her degree at Ohio State University. After teaching for one year in Ohio, Betty married Marion J. Rienstra and moved back to Beaumont where Mr. Rienstra had a law practice. Betty taught for three years in Nederland, Texas, before starting her family. As a concerned citizen, she became interested in community affairs and sought ways to improve the quality of life on a local level. Becoming alarmed by the level of pollution generated by refineries, she worked to elect new county officials who promised to more aggressively monitor pollution levels in the area and she served on the Jefferson County Air Pollution Committee for 18 years. This experience in community activism convinced her that she could make a difference. The love of reading that she instilled in her children led her to work on improvement of the library system in Beaumont. Her interest in her children’s education led her to examine educational opportunities offered in the Beaumont area for all children and eventually she gained a seat on the Board of Trustees of South Park Independent School District. She volunteered extensively at Trinity Methodist Church, The American Heart Association, The Cancer Society and the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was active in associations that reflected her varied interests such as the American Association of University Women, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Delta Cappa Gamma, a teacher honor society. Betty died on December 7, 2012, and is buried in Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches, Texas.
Louise Larcomb was born November 29, 1905. Ties between Louise Larcomb’s family and Betty Rienstra’s family go back many years because Louise’s father was originally from Ohio and was acquainted with members of Betty Rienstra’s family. Louise was raised in a house on Railroad Avenue (also known as the Port Arthur Highway) in Beaumont. Her father worked at Gladys City in the early years of the developing oil industry and he collected relics of the oil boom era. Louise was an only child and never married. She lived her entire life in the house where she was born. Her 1923 class notebook from South Park High School is included in this collection and it is a testament to her dedication to being a conscientious student. After high school, she attended business school and went to work in the law firm where Marion Rienstra was a partner. Louise was an avid baseball fan and often traveled to see World Series games. Her collection of memorabilia from games she attended and from early baseball teams in the Beaumont area are included in this collection. Louise died on March 31, 1994, and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Beaumont, Texas.
Extent
24 Cubic Feet (24 cubic feet in 29 boxes)
Abstract
Betty Rienstra was a community leader in Beaumont, Texas. She was active in various civic organizations including library associations, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Eta Nu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma and the American Association of University Women. She was elected to a trustee position for South Park Independent School District where she served for 15 years. Her papers include business and historic records of historic and civic groups as well as newspaper clippings and scrapbooks related to those organizations. Louise Larcome was a close family friend and employee of the Rienstra family. She was a graduate of South Park High School, and her papers include the first two volumes of the South Park yearbook called The Spindletop which date from 1917 and 1918 as well as yearbooks from the 1920’s. Her papers also contain family photographs, baseball memorabilia, legal documents and artifacts.
Organization of Collection
This collection is arranged by topic. Topics include organizations that Mrs. Rienstra belonged to and newspaper clippings that she collected. Other topics include legal documents from both Mrs. Rienstra and Mrs. Larcome, material that reflects the hobbies and interests of Mrs. Larcome, and correspondence from both Mrs. Rienstra and Mrs. Larcome. Folders under each topic are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
- Newspaper Clippings
- Legal Documents
- Correspondence
- Maps
- Yearbooks
- Other Materials
Acquisition Information
Donated by George R. Reinstra, 2014 June.
Accruals
Galveston County (Texas) map accrual 2015 January. No further accruals are expected.
Separated Material
The South Park (Spindletop) yearbooks for 1917 and 1918 have been removed from the collection and placed in the archival rare books section of the library.
Processing Information
Processed by Tyrrell Historical Library staff, 2014 July.
Finding aid revised and encoded by Tyrrell Historical Library staff, 2015 April.
- Agendas (administrative records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Alpha Phi
- American Association of University Women
- Baseball Subject Source: Searslocal
- Beaumont (Jefferson county, Texas : inhabited place) Subject Source: Searslocal
- Beaumont Exporters Baseball Team
- Beaumont Independent School District Board of Trustees
- Beaumont Library Commission
- Black-and-white photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Brochures Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Bulletins Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- By-Laws (administrative records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Cities and towns--Civic improvement Subject Source: Searslocal
- Clocks and watches Subject Source: Searslocal
- Community churches Subject Source: Searslocal
- Contract documents Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonel George Moffett Chapter
- Deeds Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Delta Kappa Gamma, Eta Nu Chapter
- Entertainers Subject Source: Searslocal
- Handbooks Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- High school students Subject Source: Searslocal
- History--Societies Subject Source: Searslocal
- Houston Area Library System Advisory Council
- Land surveys Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Larcomb, Louise; November 29, 1905-March 31, 1994
- Library information networks Subject Source: Searslocal
- Minutes (administrative records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Newsletters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Pamphlets Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Plats (maps) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Port Arthur Independent School District
- Professional directories Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Programs (organizations) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Property records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Real estate Subject Source: Searslocal
- Reinstra, Betty; August 19, 1923-December 7, 2012
- School yearbooks Subject Source: Searslocal
- School yearbooks Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- School--integration Subject Source: Searslocal
- Schools--Administration Subject Source: Searslocal
- Scrapbooks Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- South Park High School
- South Park Independent School District Board of Trustees
- Texas League of Professional Baseball Clubs
- Texas Public Library
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Reinstra-Larcome Family Papers, 1917-2012
- Author
- Tyrrell Historical Library Staff
- Date
- 2015 May 11
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Tyrrell Historical Library Archives Repository
