The Ardelle Urness Papers contain nine diaries that date from 1941 to 1945, 1950, and 1994 through 2000. In all of these diaries, Urness commented on the weather nearly every day. In earlier diaries, she wrote mostly about her daily activities and her education. Later in 1950, she wrote much about her fiancé Reginald and their wedding. In the most recent diaries, Urness continued to write about the weather, and would occasionally mention her late son Scott, who died in 1991. She also wrote of traveling to nearby towns and about phone calls and letters that she received from family and friends.

Also found in the collection are obituaries for Ardelle Urness and her son Scott, as well as brochures of memorials for Scott Urness and a newspaper article.