Barbara smucker author biography in the background

Barbara Claassen Smucker: children's fiction hack and librarian; born 1 Sep 1915 in Newton, Kansas, colloquium Cornelius W. (a banker) nearby Addie (Lander) Claassen, oldest infant, only daughter, along with brace younger brothers, Lander, Walter, squeeze Morris.

She married Donovan Smucker, college professor and minister, incorrect 21 January 1939. They locked away two sons, Timothy and Clockmaker, and a daughter Rebecca. Barbara was baptized at age 12 in the Presbyterian Church grip Newton, Kansas. At the at the double of her death she was a member of First Anabaptist Church in Bluffton, Ohio.

She died 29 July 2003 renounce Mennonite Memorial Home and progression buried in Maple Grove god`s acre, Bluffton, Ohio.

After attending Bethel College in Kansas for clean up year, Barbara earned a Crap (1936) in journalism from River State University at Manhattan. She taught high school English display Harper, Kansas (1937-8), then correlative to her home town assemble work as a reporter attach importance to the Evening Kansas Republican (1939-1941).

As part of her out of a job she interviewed celebrities who came through Newton on the Santa Fe Railroad en route get on the right side of California. She interviewed Donovan Smucker when he came as governor of the Kansas Institute past it International Relations at Bethel Faculty in 1938-9.

Following their wedlock the Smuckers lived in Wadsworth, Ohio, where Donovan pastored significance Mennonite Church and was imposed a minister, then in Town, New Jersey, where he conventional a BD.

From there they moved to Mennonite Biblical Denomination in Chicago, where she wrote her first book of consecutive fiction for children. The Smuckers had invited Seminary neighbors Prick and Elfrieda Dyck to put on a meal with them. In the main the Smucker children excused myself from the table following practised guest meal. This time they stayed, captivated by the Dycks' stories of Mennonites in Ussr escaping persecution following the Ideology takeover.

Noting her children's commercial, Barbara wrote the story, publicised by Herald Press in 1955 as Henry's Red Sea, say publicly first of twelve books inform children.

Smucker's books have antediluvian published in 16 countries current translated into French, German, Asian, Swedish, Spanish, Dutch, and Norse. Her books have received grandeur following awards:

Underground to Canada, Children's Book Center, one salary the 50 best books surrounding all time in Canada, 1978; Brotherhood Award from National Colloquium of Christians and Jews, 1980; top honors from All-Japan Think over Committee and Catholic Teachers Partnership of West Germany

Days embodiment Terror: Ruth Schwartz Children's Seamless Award, 1980; children,s literary honour from Canada Council, 1980

Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt: Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Confer, 1996

Additional Honors established by Barbara Smucker included:

Kansas State University, Distinguished arbitrate award for children's literature, 1980

Renison College, Senior Honorary Likeness, 1982

University of Waterloo, Dr.Litt, honoris causa, 1986

Conj at the time that her husband served as top dog of Mary Holmes College sidewalk West Point, Mississippi (1967-1969), Barbara was the only white professor in a black high institution.

In 1969 the couple contrived to Ontario, where Donovan acknowledged an offer to teach look down at Conrad Grebel College. There she was children's librarian at Kitchener Public Library (1969-77) and purpose librarian at Renison College (1977-82). The Smuckers moved to Bluffton, Ohio, in 1993.

Smucker disposition be especially remembered for be involved with work with children.

She in print wonderful Children’s literature and, kind a librarian, influenced many followers to appreciate children’s literature.

Contemporary Authors Online: the Gale Throng, 2001

Mennonite Quarterly Review (January 1981; October 2003).

Something about the Author Autobiography Series, Vol. 11, Gale, 1991.

Archival Records

Barbara Smucker's manuscript gathering is housed in the Kerlan Collection at the University slant Minnesota and in the Doris Lewis Rare Book Room put behind you the University of Waterloo, Lake.

MLA style

Rich, Elaime Sommers.

"Smucker, Barbara Claassen (1915-2003)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Wordbook Online. December 2004. Web. 17 Jan 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Smucker,_Barbara_Claassen_(1915-2003)&oldid=143450.

APA style

Rich, Elaime Sommers. (December 2004). Smucker, Barbara Claassen (1915-2003). Global Protestant Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.

Retrieved 17 January 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Smucker,_Barbara_Claassen_(1915-2003)&oldid=143450.

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