Williams Family Papers, PC.5300

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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

Series Quick Links

  1. Collection Contents

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

The materials in this collection relate to the family of James Manning Williams, who was born 4 March 1910 to Andrew D. Williams (1885-1945) and Josephine Gray Williams (1879-1956). James grew up in Manteo, North Carolina. He married Nellie O'Neal (1909-1984) in October 1931. The couple had three children: James Manning "Jimmie" Williams, Jr. (1933-2016), Robert Gray Williams (1934-1996), and Thelma Jean Williams (born 1938). James served in the United States Coast Guard and enlisted in World War II, where he was stationed in New York, Glasgow, San Diego, and the Pacific Theater. He served aboard the U.S.S. Alhena. James died 14 May 1976 at the age of 66 and was buried in Manteo.

Contents of the Collection

Collection Contents
Correspondence [3 folders], 1941-1943
Box 1
Greeting Cards, 1932-1944
Box 1
Financial Records, 1942-1944
Box 1
Ephemera, 1938-1945
Box 1
Photographs, 1940s
Box 1

Subject Headings

  • Williams, James Manning, 1910-1976
  • Williams, Nellie O'Neal, 1909-1984
  • Greeting Cards
  • World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects
  • World War, 1939-1945--Sources
  • Acquisitions Information

    Donated by JoAnn Williams, December 2015.

    Processing Information

  • Processed by Samantha Crisp, August 2019.