Williams Family Papers, PC.5300
Abstract
The materials in this collection relate to the family of James Manning Williams, a Manteo resident and United States Coast Guardsman who served during World War II. The Williams Family Papers, 1932-1945, comprises seven folders of material, including correspondence, financial records, photographs, and ephemera. The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters and greeting cards sent from James to his family during his war service.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Williams Family Papers
- Call Number
- PC.5300
- Creator
- Williams family
- Date
- 1932-1945
- Extent
- 0.200 cubic feet
- Language
- English
- Repository
- Outer Banks History Center
Restrictions on Access & Use
Access Restrictions
Available for research.
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by the United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying these materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.5300, Williams Family Papers, Outer Banks History Center, Manteo, NC, U.S.A.
Collection Overview
The Williams Family Papers, 1932-1945, comprises four folders of material, including
correspondence, financial records, and ephemera. The bulk of the collection consists
of letters and greeting cards sent from James Manning Williams to his wife Nellie
and his children Robert, Jimmie, and Thelma Jean while he was stationed with the United
States Coast Guard in World War II. Manning's letters to his children are brief and
succinct, mainly serving to check in with them and tell them he misses them. His letters
to Nellie include more details about his daily life, the movements of his company,
and his personal feelings. Many of the letters allude to his grief and lonesomeness
for his family as well as his worries about their financial situation. Most are love
letters. Also included are several letters to James from Nellie. The letters stop
in October 1943, when James was preparing to be sent home after 18 months of duty
in the South Pacific.
In addition to letters and greeting cards, the collection also includes tax receipts,
bank statements, and cancelled checks tracing the family's finances during the war.
Also included is a folder of family photographs, and a folder of ephemera containing
a graduation invitation; a manual, recipe book, and warranty information for a G.E.
refrigerator; a card certifying Nellie O'Neal Williams as a Boy Scout pack organizer,
a photocopy of a newspaper article on Lieutenant Wilbur K. Bennett of Buxton; and
a press mat.
Biographical/Historical
Contents of the Collection
Subject Headings
Acquisitions Information
Donated by JoAnn Williams, December 2015.