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A large section of this collection consists of almost ninety years of correspondence between the Hartzlers and their friends and relations. It begins with some of Lucy's earliest letters as a young child. It also includes much correspondence dating from Coleman and Lucy's courtship. Later letters describe, in great detail, their days as missionaries, with Lucy striving to include almost every small detail of their lives in her letters. As their sons grew up and moved away, the letters between them and their parents become a central feature of the collection. Also present is a signed letter from John Kennedy to Coleman Hartzler, dating from Kennedy's 1960 election campaign. The diaries are Lucy Padrick Hartzler's accounts of both missionary and family life in Africa and the United States. Written in long hand, they give brief insights into Lucy's devotion to her husband, family, and church. They are personal in nature and quite informative.

In the first diary there is a short genealogical record of the Padrick family (1851-1957). Those records that center primarily on Coleman Hartzler are located in the Sermons and Administrative series. The former series reflects Hartzler's philosophy of ministry, Christianity, hermeneutics, ethos, and world-view. Most of the sermons are in outline form and are type scripted. There are research notes attached to a few of the sermons. Some of the sermons are dated. Supporting documentation for Hartzler's sermon preparation is comprised of notes, proto-addresses, quotes, prayers, poems, and litanies. The latter series, Administrative, contains three primary elements. The records in the first element reflects his professional life as a minister and a missionary. Subjects include the mission work in the Congo, financial accounts, job descriptions, and the Collins Pension Fund.

The second element contains personal/family administration. The third and final element encompasses those travel documents that both Coleman and Lucy Hartzler used throughout their lives. The series containing photographs and biographical information are a mix of different family members both immediate and extended. It here that the genealogist will want to start their research. The photographs series cover the geographic areas of Africa and the United States. They are primarily portrait in orientation but also include a church facade (unknown) and weddings of variously connected relatives. The biographical series contains subjects that cover clergy, baptismal, and death certificates. Other subjects include various family members funeral services and education. The final series is located in a general file which covers such topics as pastoral records, African holidays, historic sites, friends, obituaries, and a historical calendar of the Congo mission. The bits of information contained within this small series fills the intellectual gaps left out by the preceding series.

The records of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) encompass its beginnings as a general agency and continues up to the early twenty-first century. Its primary role is advocacy for women both within and beyond United Methodism. Over time advocacy would be expanded beyond just women roles and acceptance as leaders. Responsibilities in their defined mission include workplace and sexual harassment, equitable leadership roles and benefits in relation to gender and race, legislation to General Conference such as changing language usage in the Book of Discipline to codify improvements for women and social issues relating thereof. These are but a few examples of its advocacy work for the denomination.

In order to support, empower and educate the denomination on all levels within COSROW’s defined responsibilities can be found in the Advocacy, Audio-Visuals, Connectional Ministries and Printed Matter series. Here the researcher will find a plethora of avenues by which COSROW fulfills its mission through multimedia, mailings, newsletters such as the Yellow Ribbon and The Flyer, correspondence, creation and submission of petitions to General Conference along with organizing and informing delegates, worship resources reflecting various women’s concerns and expressions, pamphlets, workshops and monitoring seminaries and all the boards and agencies throughout the connectional structures within the larger church.

COSROW is highly organized in the sense of resourcing and utilizing its membership both on the general church and annual conference levels. The creation of a talent bank in which to draw upon not only for its own qualitative work but also to network skilled individuals is but one of the creative ways COSROW optimizes its impact on the church despite its small staff. The records illustrate how the role of monitoring became a defining part of its work. Social justice issues related to women and children are amply documented in the files. The genesis of using non-gender specific language issue to promote inclusiveness within United Methodism can be traced here as well.

The Financial and Administration series reflects how COSROW ran its organization and implemented its mission on a daily basis. Minutes of the various committees, reports on the work and funding of the commission, along with membership records and the General Secretary’s office files make up the primary documents in this series. A researcher will notice multiple files on the same topics. The reason for this duplication rests upon the original organizational structure the commission utilized for an egalitarian General Secretariat rather than a typical top-down corporate management structure found in other United Methodist agencies. Later COSROW adapted the latter structure out of necessity. On another note it should be noted that COSROW often recorded their meetings in various media platforms which became the official record.