481 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f043caf7986a9e312463b848095221cc.pdf 3153fc76f0d1db3be2a4560f3c7fc349 PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/41efa8ffa4685408f98f5e6d4ec4ab55.pdf 92786ab404824c7082599ade05aec963 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1945-03-08] [Page 1] March 8, 1945 My dearest Darling: I either don’t hear from you at all, or everything comes at once. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I got your picture. I’m so please with it “honey” that I can hardly tell you in words. I’ve got it in front of my now, and I wish I could take you right out of the picture into my arms. Wouldn’t that be heavenly though. I sure do think you’re looking good, and as far as I can see you haven’t changed one bit. My folks think its swell too. So much for the picture. I also got the souveners you sent me, and I sure was tickled. I think they’re darling, and to think you made [Page 2] them with your own hands. Last but not least I got the valentines and they sure are sweet. I’m so pleased with them. I hope you got the one I sent you. Don’t think I forgot about your birthday “darling” but it’s going to be a little late. I’ll tell you I had my picture taken for you, just like I did last year, and for some reason or other (paper shortage) it takes a long time to get them made. However, I think you’ll be pleased when you get it. A new furniture store opened downtown and its open every night this week for inspection. Mother, Dad, my girlfriend and myself [Page 3] went down to look tonight. Oh! “darling” it just puts me in the fever to buy furniture. I wish we were furnishing our home already, don’t you? We could have so much fun. Anyway we’ve got something to look forward to. My mother and I are redecorating my bedroom. I painted the ceiling all by myself. Do you believe me. Its sure going to look different. I hope you’re going to like my cedar chest “darling.” I’m pretty sure you will though. {red lipstick imprint} Mother got her letter from you, and she was very pleased. I didn’t get mine though, as yet. I sure hope [Page 4] and pray you get that 30 day furlough. Keep on trying for it and don’t give up. �I’m sending you a couple snapshots and hope you like them. This will give you an idea what my fur coat looks like. I shall close until later. Your future wife All my Love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS MAR 9 7 PM 1945 MICH. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Det. of Patients 4152 U.S. Hosp. Plant A.P.O. – 63 c/o P.M. New York, N. Y. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1945-03-08 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1945-03-08 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, March 8, 1945 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated March 8, 1945. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated March 9, 1945. In the letter, Agnes expresses her excitement over receiving the care package from Joe including a treasured photograph of him, handmade souvenirs, and valentines. She also writes that she is looking forward to his birthday and dreams of the day when they can furnish their future home together. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0667b0ace1aab184639bba2abc2e82d4.pdf e735772824876e3605e7440fb9a8bc1c PDF Text Text ������ https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f334bc14777bd69a188ca9ce32cc9f4.pdf eb57ced1cdb96e34b2ec04929b9e2aa0 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-12] [Page 1] November 12, 1944 My dearest Darling, Received two of your letters written October 28th and 30th. I was so pleased to get those nice letters “honey”. It was two weeks since I had heard from you, and it was quite a relief to get those letters. I’m getting all ready to go visit Helen and Gaylord next week. I’m leaving here Sunday November 19th. I’m rather anxious to go, and it sure is grand to have a week’s vacation with pay. I don’t like to travel alone so well though [Page 2] because I get lonesome. When I went to Detroit the last time I just sat and daydreamed about you and myself and our future. I imagine I’ll do the same thing this time. Darling! I love you with all my heart and miss you so very, very much. I pray for your safety and may God always bless you and keep you close to me, even if we are separated and so far apart. The Lord knows all our needs, and I know if {red lipstick imprint} [Page 3] we trust him, we shall be very happy. I’m anxiously waiting to get that package you sent me. It was sweet of you to send me those things darling. I’m sorry you haven’t got the package with the watch and pen in. I sent it to the address you have now. Just a few days after I mailed it, I got your letter saying you were in the hospital. Evidently it got lost somewhere! I got the $180 you sent “honey”. It only took a [Page 4] short while to get here. You must not get all my letters because I wrote it in several letters. You asked for the address of that fellow who sent me the bracelet. I finally came across it. (Sgt. George Parker 6905924) 93 Station Compliment [?] Squadron A.P.O. – 635 c/o P.M. [?] N.Y. N.Y. �I shall have to close “darling” and write as often as you can. Yours always With all my Love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS NOV 14 4:30 PM 1944 MICH. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y. 130th Gen. Hosp. APO#652 12-4-44 [Envelope back] S.W.A.K. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-12 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-11-12 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, November 12, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated November 12, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated November 14, 1944. In the letter, Agnes talks about her upcoming week's paid vacation to visit Helen and Gaylord, comparing it with her last trip to Detroit, Michigan where she daydreamed of her future with Joe. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e27941e48a257ff7b9879773d90215f.pdf c8f17d9f9a1eaac7b4ce75da925dfa66 PDF Text Text ������ https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/427e96bc8416f26e79a68642ba839b21.pdf d99374636a0f83e150c852086473c153 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-14] [Page 1] November 14, 1944 My dearest Darling, Didn’t receive any mail from you this week, but nevertheless here I am writing. I’ve got your picture in front of me, and I know that will give me some inspiration. “Darling,” I just wish you were here right now, so I could squeeze you, and give you all the kisses I promised. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. I sure like to be loved, and I miss it very much. I can remember so well the first time you kissed [Page 2] me. It was on New Year’s Eve, and you were the first fellow who ever kissed me. You could probably tell that ha! ha! Last nite I bought my train ticket to go visit Helen. I’m leaving this Saturday nite November 18th. I’m so excited I can hardly wait. I think I told you that I don’t have to have my tonsils out, but I’m getting four shots for colds [?]. I had the last one yesterday. {red lipstick imprint} You’ll have to excuse this terrible scribbling, [Page 3] “darling”, but I’m so tired, and I’m writing this in bed, so I’m sure you’ll understand. I bought a pair of new brown slacks last night. They’re 100% wool, and that’s something that’s hard to get. They cost me $9.00. Isn’t that terrible!! I bought a pair of pajamas that cost $4.00. Honestly, I don’t know what’s going to happen, if these prices don’t go down pretty soon. Of course wages are high too. I love you with all [Page 4] my heart “sweets” and I long for the day when we shall be together for good. I pray for your safety every day, and may God richly bless you and bring you home soon. I pray that this terrible war will end soon. �I shall close “darling” and write soon and often as you can. Yours always With all my Love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} P.S. I’m sending a snapshot my cousin took of me last spring. Its different than the other one I sent you. [Envelope front] Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS NOV 15 3 PM 1944 MICH. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. # 1 c/o P.M. New York, N. Y. 130th Gen. Hosp. APO#652 12-4-44 [Envelope back] S.W.A.K. {Postmark} U.S. ARMY 1 BPO 17 MCH POSTAL SERVICE CONTROL SECTION � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-14 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-11-14 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, November 14, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated November 14, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated November 15, 1944. In the letter, Agnes expresses her affection for Joe and reminisces about their first kiss on New Year's Eve. She also mentions her recent purchases including a train ticket to visit Helen and new clothes, while hoping the war will end and bring Joe back home soon. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e0246ac8b469e2ecd1c7edcd741fa1bf.pdf c96e23fa80cb7de7b2e5043e505d224a PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c1a6ec79900fd17dbad8b73c8dfe6f5a.pdf 12f58ee752bb971006204eb5168aaeaa PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-20] [Page 1] Conewango Valley November 20, 1944 My dearest Darling, As you can see I arrived here safely, and I’m planing on spending the whole week here. Helen and Gaylord met me at the station in Buffalo yesterday, and then we went to Johnny and Lillian’s [?], and had dinner there. I like it out here in the country a lot but don’t know for sure if I’d like it here all the time. I sure do miss you [Page 2] “sweets” and what I would do to have you here with me. I love you with all my heart, and wait patiently for the day when we shall be together for good. I’m going to squeeze you with all my might and I don’t think I’ll ever let you out of my sight. I got two lonely letters from you written Nov. 1st and 2nd. I sure was tickled to get those just before I left. {red lipstick imprint} I’m going to try and [Page 3] send you some stamps tomorrow. I have to get them first thought. I hope you get the package I sent with the stationary in it. I’ll tell you again “sweets” I got the money you sent me. You probably know that by now though. Gaylord’s brother Roger is home, and his girlfriend is staying over to Ennis’s [?] too. How I envy them “darling” I just wish that was you and I. But I’m happy for them just the same. Ollie and Janice will [Page 4] probably be here for Thanksgiving. �The ground was covered with snow this morning. The first snow we’ve had. Well “darling” its almost time for the mailman to be here, so I shall close with all my love to the best fellow, who’s the grandest soldier in the Army. All my Love Your future wife Agnes {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} CONEWANGO V. NOV 20 1944 P.M. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1 c/o P.M. New York, N. Y. 130th Gen. Hosp. APO#652 12-3-44 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-20 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-11-20 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, November 20, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated November 20, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated November 20, 1944. In the letter, Agnes writes of her journey taking the train to Buffalo, New York, and spending the week in Conewango Valley with Helen and Gaylord while experiencing their first snow fall for the year. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b665807702861354749b332dc3c81d5c.pdf a7ed6cab4cd4560262154df3c7eb4115 PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/376f27ce32d5a2616acbc66fd32d67f4.pdf be66d20d58cf55c7afc4ac80c1b2b65c PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-22] [Page 1] November 22, 1944 My dearest Darling, I sure do miss your letters this week and I hope if I get any, my mother will send them to me. Last night Gaylord, Helen and I went to Jamestown to the movies, and saw the picture “Doughgirls.” It wasn’t a bad picture, but it was terribly crazy. We’re going to Jamestown again today shopping, and Roger and Dorothy are going along too. Just think tomorrow is Thanksgiving again, and [Page 2] this is your third Thanksgiving overseas. We’ll be thinking of you anyway “Darling”. Even if you aren’t here. At least I know I will. I love you with all my heart “sweets” and still miss you very, very much. I just hope and pray that you’ll be home very soon, and that this terrible war will be over too. We’ve got so much to look forward to, and plan on I know we shall be {red lipstick imprint} [Page 3] very happy once we have adjusted ourselves to each other. Yesterday afternoon Roger and Gaylord took us all around the country looking for turkeys. Every farmhouse we went to they didn’t have any, but I saw the country anyway. We’re going to get one today though. I’m wondering if your ears are ringing at all because we’re always talking about you. Gaylord’s always kidding me, but [Page 4] it doesn’t bother me anymore. He told me about the time you stayed at Ennis’s [?] and cut wood. He also told me what a good worker you are, but he didn’t have to tell me that. I shall have to close “darling” and write as often as you can. Yours always �With all my love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-11-22 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-11-22 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, November 22, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated November 22, 1944. In the letter, Agnes describes her adventures with Helen and Gaylord in New York, going to the movies and exploring the countryside in search of turkeys while looking ahead to Joe's third Thanksgiving overseas. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ce5357c014253f8fd3e389096e952023.pdf 0611880a29e329ba77cfb2a5299e385c PDF Text Text �� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c2f27e6a7f363992660d2d398affe0c4.pdf 2b63078c6d63929ea23cd55ee8898a5a PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-10-23] [Page 1] October 23, 1944 My dearest Darling, A lot has happened around here since I wrote to you last. Mother had a nice baby boy Friday afternoon. They are both doing fine. I just wish you could see the baby. Its the sweetest thing. The nurse shows it to us through a window. Dad is so proud. Honestly, everyone says you would think it was his 1st! I went downtown tonight and bought a fur coat. Its beaver dark brown. I haven’t got it home yet because I haven’t got it all paid for. Boy does it look nice. I’ll be glad when you can see it, and I hope you’ll like it. I paid $1.20 for it, {red lipstick imprint} [Page 2] including the tax and all. I went to the movies the other night and saw Mrs. Steffinson. It was a pretty good picture. Have you seen it? By the way have you ran into Roy since you’ve been back with the outfit? I wonder how he is. I never hear anything about Carolyn, and it don’t bother me any either. I still miss you very, very much “darling” and I love you with all my heart. I hope and pray this war will be over soon, and we’ll be happily married and live a normal life like other people do. I shall close sweets and write soon. With all my Love, Agnes P.S. Thanks for the German money. {red lipstick imprint} � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-10-23 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10-23 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, October 23, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated October 23, 1944. In the letter, Agnes shares her family's good news of the birth of her baby brother, along with her excitement for a new fur coat and a recent trip to the movie theater. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0bc03260bfe04620d49c87dba7936606.pdf f058c915c434824e43d9702d766ce58b PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/86b045f366a3a0b8f4426e8e0de225ca.pdf e187faba0104287d8847461bd7a5f006 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-10-24_02] [Page 1] October 24th, 1944 My dearest Darling, I haven’t had any mail yet this week, but here I am again “darling.” I never have much news for you because I don’t do much of anything. One thing I can always tell you how much I miss you and love you. I am patiently waiting for the day to come when we shall be together again, and for good. Oh! “Darling” we’ve got so much to look forward to. Our love for each other never growing old. I imagine it will take a little time at first to get adjusted and to get used to each other. I know I have changed some in the past two years, and I imagine you have too. Its quite different around the house without Mom, but we’re managing, and pretty good at that. I’m anxious for the baby to come home though, so I can cuddle it. {red lipstick imprint} [Page 2] Boy! Am I ever getting razzed for buying a fur coat. They kidded me all day about it in the store. They seem to be just as tickled as I am. The butcher made me eat a raw oyster today, and honestly I felt so queer. I never saw such a crazy bunch. Of course I’m just as bad. I can still get those laughing fits. Remember that one night when you were tell me crazy things the boys did in the barracks. We both laughed so hard. I often think of that. So Punchy still with your outfit. You never mention him anymore. I shall close for this time sweets, and write soon. Yours always With all my Love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS OCT 25 �3 PM 1944 MICH. S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. #1 c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y. [Envelope back] S.W.A.K. {Postmark} U.S. ARMY 1 BPO 17 MCH POSTAL SERVICE CONTROL SECTION � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Agnes_1944-10-24_02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Van Der Weide, Agnes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10-24 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, October 24, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated October 24, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated October 25, 1944. In the letter, Agnes confides that she never has a lot to say in her letters and focuses her writing on how she will never tire of telling Joe what he means to her. She also describes what it has been like at home while her mom is away in the hospital and the response she received regarding her new fur coat. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href=" https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href=" http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7058483ad99b190e2d369bd4e3d9f2db.pdf 85aa0517ce8afde77c5768a5b98753ed PDF Text Text ����� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW92-10-7 Title A name given to the resource Letter from D.S. Austin to his brother Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1865-09-14 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Austin, D. S. Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Sandstone (Mich. : Township) Romeo (Mich.) Description An account of the resource Letter from D.S. Austin from Sandstone, Michigan to his brother Asa H. Austin in Romeo, Michigan, Sept. 14, 1865. Letter is an update on the family. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d914d4572e7acb0530d6e9cfaa21f3e6.pdf ce2ee939854debc2b190196f8477f6bd PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW2815 Title A name given to the resource Letter from David Davis Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Davis, David, 1815-1886 Subject The topic of the resource Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Davis, David, 1815-1886 Description An account of the resource Letter from David Davis, U.S. Senator from Illinois and associate justice of the US Supreme Court requesting a meeting, Feb. 28th. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/eeddeb170e06b32c61363fb953eefc1a.pdf 3c69f21e1334e9dcbf0bf183ee02d51d PDF Text Text Letter From Denmark – Final Draft Griffin Amrein WRT 365 As of today, the United States has experienced over ten-million cases of coronavirus infection, and many individuals have died as a result of the rampant spread. As we walk through the public streets, once filled with care-free groups of people, now populated only by spaced out individuals wearing monotonous masks, many of us begin to question if things will ever return to normal, or what normal may even look like. For many countries, the coronavirus was background news until it was too late. Nobody in the crowds could foresee what was to come, and it was shocking. Some people, however, did see at the beginning what was in store for us, and were able to prepare accordingly. Perhaps if only certain small factors were changed, there would be a drastic change, and the infection rates could have been slowed enough for the rest of the lockdown to be mild in comparison to what it is now, and lives could be saved before ever being put at risk. Well, hindsight is always 20/20, especially in the year 2020, and now tens of millions around the globe are feeling the consequences of a pandemic. However, there is a place in Europe that boasts remarkably low statistics compared to most other countries. Although the peninsula mainland of Jutland lies just above Germany, the Kingdom of Denmark stretches its dominion across hundreds of northern islands of Scandinavia and the Atlantic, even including Iceland and Greenland. It is home to over 5.8 million people, about half of whom inhabit the island of Zealand. The coastal capital city of Copenhagen is slightly smaller in population than Detroit and is zig-zagged by bustling canals and characterized by centuries- �old architecture surrounded by colorful apartments often no taller than 4 stories. It is a very welloff nation with a uniquely modern infrastructure that is built upon about one thousand years of rich cultural history, in fact it isn’t an uncommon sight to see a brand-new Tesla parked down the street from a Medieval castle. Denmark is a relatively homogenous yet accepting country with a reputation of being one of the most enjoyable places to live. The citizens are patriotic and proud, but are knowledgeable of world affairs, mostly fluent in English and other foreign languages, and enjoy the ability to travel across Europe with ease. The country’s geography makes for polarized weather with the pleasant summer days experiencing frequent alternations between rain and sun, and the cold winters seeing extra-long nights. When the weather is good, the natural beauty of the landscape is highlighted, and the citizens take advantage of this by enjoying the forests, rivers, and grasslands which are often closely blended into urban areas. The Danish love the outdoors and use their bicycles as a method of transportation just as much as they use cars. The natives of Denmark are relatively healthy and have a stereotype for being blonde haired and tall with slender bodies and, despite being huge consumers of sweets (which are likely more licoricebased than most Americans are used to), this stereotype is largely based in reality. Despite technically being one of the few remaining monarchies in Europe, there is a parliamentary system of representative democracy which puts political power mostly in the hands of the people’s vote and elected officials. Denmark has been referenced a lot in American politics as an ideal of democratic-socialists such as Bernie Sanders, and with a high tax rate that is used to fund public education, healthcare, and welfare, as well as great concern for carbon emissions and recycling, the country certainly has a “one-for-all” mentality. �With this in mind, it should be no surprise that Danish citizens were quick to react to the threat of a global pandemic. As the virus spread through the world, Denmark was one of the first countries in Europe to initiate quarantine measures. In early March, 2020, most people around the world would have thought that closing down schools, universities, borders, and public gatherings was an extreme over-reaction, but shortly after it became clear that the rest of the world would have to follow in the footsteps of countries such as Denmark. In addition, Denmark has a government funded health care system which allows a higher number of people to seek free help if they believe they may be infected. In the United States, finances are something one typically must consider if they believe they may be infected, so this is likely a discouraging factor for many Americans to get a test, especially if they are unsure about their symptoms. As is the same for any case study, however, only time will tell how successful any of the quarantine measures will be in the long term. With so many factors at play, it is hard to paint a full picture of how widespread the effects of the Coronavirus are, have been, and will be. Despite this, looking at the data can help us get some context of our current situation. What we can learn from the data as of November 12, is that there are/have been 10,708,728 cases of Coronavirus infection in the United States, and four percent of these cases were fatal for the afflicted. Germany, the second most populated country in Europe and Denmark’s southern neighbor, has accounted for 726,176 cases of infection, with three percent of the cases ending fatally. In relatively small Denmark, the number of Coronavirus cases reaches 57,952 with only two percent (753) of them ending fatally. The number of active cases per day in both Germany and Denmark follow a somewhat similar curve when graphed over time with a sudden spike over the last few months, but while Germany’s curve has begun to wane in recent weeks, Denmark’s is �actually dropping. Compared to both, the United States has seen a steadier increase in the number of active cases, going up with a slight wave motion (Worldometer). Despite having access to this information, it is a more complicated endeavor to make sense of it in a real-world context. Numbers can often times mislead, and when it comes to COVID-19, Denmark might seem safer than other countries. It is important to remember that there are more factors than one can possibly think of that determine the infection rate of a disease like this. Learning from a first-hand source may help to clear the fog. Lars Zeiger is a Swedish-born citizen of Denmark whose named I made up for the sake of privacy. He is an educated, middle aged and middle-class single father who lives in an apartment with his teenage son and daughter in a small urban town about 30 minutes away from Copenhagen. A former professional swimmer, he’s energetic and jubilant, and has his family speak English around the house every Sunday to strengthen their fluency. Contrary to the data, Lars takes the virus very seriously. On a scale from one to ten, he described the threat of infection to be around eight or nine worldwide, and a solid nine in his country, although it reacted quickly. Perhaps he gives the danger such a high estimate because he knows the potential for infection in a country with so little open space. Like anywhere else, the Danes made many sacrifices for quarantine measures. Business has taken a similar hit to the United States, with many businesses closing down or having employees work from home. The recent growth in their tourism industry was projected to continue increasing in 2020, so when the virus made its appearance, the economy had already begun to shift in the direction of accommodations for overseas visitors. Many brand-new hotels were never inhabited and money was quickly drained away. The government is extending financial support to companies, but only if they had good earnings in recent years. To keep �people from crowding, only one person per family may enter certain shops at a time, however education seems to have been prioritized as much more essential with schools operating relatively unchanged. Lars remains a positive man during this and says that life in Denmark is still pretty good. Perhaps this type of satisfaction is one reason why the populous was so willing to comply with governmental restrictions. “Our government has been very keen on having an honest and good dialog with the press.” Lars insists, “The people here in [Denmark] are very pro the government in how they act.” He states that press conferences are regular with a number of important officials and health experts, allowing for a more open dialogue directly with the country. Lars points out that Sweden, which is another country known for its higher than average rates of happiness, chose the path of less restrictions. To consult the data again, Sweden has less than twice the population of Denmark but accounts for more than eight times the number of infected citizens (Worldometer). Until a day comes when things can settle back into a sense of new normalcy, people just like Lars across the world can only wait. Although there is room for differing opinions on how to proceed, we cannot pretend the crisis is over, or that it does not exist. To do so would circumvent the problem rather than defeating it. It is impossible for a single opinion to prevail over a global disease, and this is why the world must unite. Amidst divisions seeming to widen in the United States and in the world, we must remain vigilant of the fact that it is not person versus person; it is people versus the Coronavirus problem. What can we do about a problem but live in sacrifice for the good of others? From Copenhagen, to Wuhan, to New York, all people must work together in this challenging time. �Works Cited “Denmark.” Worldometer, 12 Nov. 2020, www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/denmark/. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2021-01-14_AmreinGriffin Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Amrein, Griffin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2021-01-14 Title A name given to the resource Letter From Denmark Description An account of the resource A news article by GVSU student Griffin Amrein about the situation of COVID-19 in Denmark contrasted with other worldwide countries. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ed0f96cf47e9b5ca788cca10e0b0382b.pdf 1b6623b89142bcdf675ef592a7d9b351 PDF Text Text amstore 1657 GETTY STREET, MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN 49443 (616) 722-6681 TELEX 228-444 November 12, 1973 MUSKEGON JEWISll COMMUNITY Dear Fellow Congregants : I would like to share with you my positive feelings about a number of our significant, although divergent recent accomplishments. ' .... We collected and transmitted to Israel over $60,000. Most ', of this money was given in addition to contributions to the · United Jewish Ap p eal for 1973 and 1974 . The prayers f or p eac e of f ered by the Rabbi at the special daily services durin g the war appear to have been answered. The Community respon se wa s exc e llent . The celebra t ion of the 25th Anniversary of the Temple was beautifully h a n d led by Al an Opp enh e imer, his committee and other volunteers . It wa s a we ll attended, meaningful event. We American Jews represent the center of Jewish population, culture and wea l th i n this era . I am proud that we in Muskegon reco gn i ze t h i s and accept our responsibilities. Sincerely, RFK/sea USA Israel USSR France Argentina Gr. Britain Canada Brazil s. Africa Romania Other TOTAL WORLD JEWISH POPULATION 1971 EST. 5, 870,000 NOTE: 3,012,000 2 ,620, 000 Au s tria 535,000 Czech. 500,000 Germany 450,000 Poland 280, 000 150 , 000 116,000 100, 000 903,000 14 ,436,000 AMERICAN STORE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 8,000 15,000 30,000 �I amstore 1657 GETTY STREET, MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN 49443 RICHARD F. KAUFMAN PRESIDENT (616) 722-6681 November 8, 1973 Mr. Charles Zlotogura Dear Charles: This letter will confirm our understanding which was arrived at in Jordan's absence. We will adhere to the following procedures until I change them in writing. Meanwhile, I'm asking those receiving a copy of this letter to comment and to agree or to recommend changes: Work of the Custodians: ~- You are outlining their duties in writing and will indicate what jobs have to be done and at what time. You will personally see that they are doing t~e job properly. In general, they will do all normal work required by the Temple which includes special functions. They will be paid additional amounts for work done for private functions. You are the only one au~horized to give them official instructions. In your absence, I may authorize them to do things upon request. However, we expect them to be cooperative when informally asked to do things that reasonably fall within their duties. Payment to Custodians - Authorization of Purchases The custodians will be paid $50 weekly. All other payments to them must be approved by you in writing. Requests for reimbursement to you or to the custodians will be accompanied by written support of the expenditure and approved by you in writing. No one but you may authorize additional work done or items purchased by the custodians or anyone else. This must be approved by you, or in your absence, by me. This includes work or gifts to be paid for by the donor . \ AMERICAN STORE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION �y , Page 2 Let's plan to include the above in the agenda of the Temple Board Meeting on November 19th. Sincerely, RFK/sea cc: All Temple Board Members Mary Allen .-" � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Temple B'nai Israel Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Temple B'nai Israel (Muskegon, Mich.) Description An account of the resource Collection of photographs, scrapbooks, programs, minutes, and other records of the Temple B'nai Israel in Muskegon, Michigan. The collection was created as part of the L'dor V'dor project directed by Dr. Marilyn Preston, and was supported by grants from the Kutsche Office of Local History and Michigan Humanities Council. Original materials were digitized by the University Libraries and returned to the synagogue. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital objects were contributed by Temple B'nai Israel as part of the L'dor V'dor project. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Jews--United States Muskegon (Mich.) Scrapbooks Synagogues Women--Societies and clubs Minutes (Records) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Preston, Marilyn Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Relation A related resource L'dor V'dor (project) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-08 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Text Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Circa 1920s-2018 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-08_BI-AmstoreLetters_1973 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Amstore letter Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Dick Kaufman of Amstore to the Muskegon Jewish Community Description An account of the resource Letter from Dick Kaufman of Amstore to the Muskegon Jewish Community about their collective contributions to Israel for the years 1973 and 1974. Subject The topic of the resource Jews--United States Muskegon (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the B'nai Israel Temple as part of the L'dor V'dor project. Relation A related resource L'dor V'dor (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/94cdb5d5118f87ba4aadbe5885c5ddee.pdf c3bd11a011330ef5066f84ba1a7cc766 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW1-4390 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Edward Bates Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bates, Edward, 1793-1869 Subject The topic of the resource United States--Politics and government--19th century United States--Officials and employees Bates, Edward, 1793-1869 Description An account of the resource Note from Edward Bates, US Attorney General under Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1864. "Sir, Coming home, after an absence of six weeks, I find your letter of July 11. It is dated only at "Hartford" the poststamp, as usual, is illegible, so I direct this acknowledgement to Hartford of Connecticut, as the best city of the name that I know of." Respectfully, Edward Bates Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e87f882fb0c8903ef4368194ada1b1a6.pdf 90705f91f0e8021cbaa5d8f8feaf9b3a PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW1-4364 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Gideon Welles to Commodore H. H. Bell Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1863-07-30 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878 Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878 United States. Navy Bell, H. H. Description An account of the resource Letter from Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, to Commadore H. H. Bell refusing to accept his resignation, July 30, 1863. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d6469be0d0b9d622eb71a3369740f7ac.pdf 2f2bc0566233851b24f3e0ecc22f3bd8 PDF Text Text .JAMES TANNER, ~.ttn:rm~ & C!}~tU.m- at~cim, LOAN ANO TRUST CO.BUILDING, ~~¥n¢mt,~. ~. April 4, 1892. A. S. Clark, F,sq. 34 Park Row, N. Y. City. My Dear Sir: Somebody gave me your name as one who could probably assist me to some odd numbers of newspapers of the war times. I wish to get a few; I do not know yet just what - I lack, but I thought I would write you and see if you had a ~.,.,. s~ock of this kind of stuff, if so I will make out my list and send over to you. Hoping to hear frcm youi I am, Velf truly yours, J~. f .{ / � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW11710 Title A name given to the resource Letter from James Tanner to A.S. Clark Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1892 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tanner, James, 1844-1927 Clark, A. S. Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Assassination Washington (D.C.) Description An account of the resource Letter from James Tanner to A.S. Clark requesting copies of newspapers from the Civil War era. Tanner served as Secretary Stanton's stenographer and was at Lincoln's deathbed. His notes were the first official evidence and the most comprehensive record relating to the assassination. Related collection at the University of Southern Mississippi McCain Library. Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c405aedc31de334a697f6fa6962be373.pdf c2717077ccd37e4d02129bb13859f9be PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/11501d8bc06a511c41eda867aea8384a.pdf 3ed3e5100a39a5538d63c96f8be4f560 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-11] [Page 1] England April 11, 1944. Hello “Darling,” Rec’d two of your letters last nite [sic] dated March 18th and 31st. It was swell to hear from you again. I’m fine as usual and love you as much as ever. Miss you, too and plenty. I’d be very happy and contented, “Darling” if you were here to squeeze me, like you said you would. Why, don’t you? I’ve enjoyed your kisses very much, “Sweets” and their [sic] swell, especially when they come from you. I sure do remember the last time I kissed you and I miss them very much now. You’re to blame young lady and just waite [sic] till I get back. I’ll get even then. Ha! Ha! [Page 2] As long as you daydream of us, “Darling,” I’m well pleased and I do the same often. It’s grand to think of it, isn’t it “Sweets.” I could squeeze you ever so much right now and bite your ears. That!! would be swell! [sic] Ha! Ha! Did you visit my folks or did some of them visit you? I hope they visited you? My! I’m disappointed in you for falling to sleep holding my picture. Next time you do that, “Sweets,” I’m going to jump right out of the picture and knip [sic] your nose. I’ll even jump in and out of your dreams, just to be mean and haunt you. What do you think of that? Worried?!!! Ha! Ha! You will be! Have you tried to make some cookies for me yet? You haven’t, well young lady, you’d better get busy and [Page 3] make some. So, Gloria’s going to work in the store? I see where I’ll apply for another secretary job and take care of all the money she makes. I quit being your secretary because you never sent me anything to balance the monthly budget. Ha! Ha! Has your mother written to me lately? If she hasn’t, I’m still boycotting her. Is Elaine going to answer my letter? Well, tell her to hurry up and write. How’s your dad these days? Don’t forget to tell him that I was asking about him, will you? Today is a very nice day, wish you were here to spend it with me. It wouldn’t cost you much, except for a broken rib, from me squeezing you. Ha! Ha! Would it be worth it? Did you wear your Easter Suit? This Sunday “Sweets,” I want you to [Page 4] wear it because I’m going to take you for a stroll. That’s going to be swell, then I will be able to see it. My thoughts are always of you “Darling” and I can hardly waite [sic] for the day we shall see each other again. Well, I shall have to close hoping to hear from you soon. Yours forever, With Loads of Love & Kisses Joe �{Signature accent mark} PS. Getting back to my usual short letters, ain’t I? Awful isn’t? Ha! Ha! Sending another clipping of “Sad Sack.” [Envelope front] S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y. U. S. Army Free {Signature accent mark} {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 APR 11 1944 A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave., S.W. Grand Rapids, 9 Mich. PASSED BY 20639 U.S. ARMY EXAMINER Lt. [?] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-11 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-04-11 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 11, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 11, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 11, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes expressing his love for her and inquiring about whether she gathered with his family for Easter back home in Michigan. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Love letters Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f609b8deb88cd4f91ae5d666c3833c6.pdf 841a31441ae737a51002763374d09354 PDF Text Text ���������� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/046d52efcd23bb10bbbde0fbab9b275b.pdf eb7f294ff2b497b2e47d66818b445a09 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-13] [Page 1] Co. “L,” 26th Infantry Camp Blanding, Fla. April 13, 1942. Dear Agnes, Rec’d both of your letters and was surprised to get two. Yesterday, some of us boys were invited to attend church in Jacksonville and naturally I went too. We were invited out to dinner by some of the people there and I must say I had a very enjoyable time. Coming back at nite [sic] it was very chilly and now I have a beautiful head cold. I’ve had a nagging headache all day and just about blew Camp Blanding off of the map sneezing. I don’t feel so well at present [Page 2] but in good spirits. Tomorrow we are going on an 18-mile hike and staying [text strikethrough] out there for a 3-day problem. So, I decided to write since we came in a little earlier than usual. The parade was a great success but very hot for us boys who done the marching. It was 2 hours before we got through parading and what a crowd watching us. Our training [sic] is hard as usual and the same. Especially getting into the mud and marsh. Saturday, I put on my swimming trunks and laid out on my invisible beach to get a sun tan. I got burned a little and red, but now I’m just as white as I was before so I’ll try again. [Page 3] I nearly fainted when I got 2 cards from my brother Ollie. He was visiting the place in Ohio where we used to live. The Army is still giving out 2 furloughs in a platoon each week now and if I can scrape up enough money, I may take one, although I don’t want anyone to count on it. I suppose my brother sent you a card or two, too, or am I wrong. That note you got and sent to me was taken from a book, for I took business writing in school and the book I had as a reference gave love letters in the same degree as this one you sent. Believe it or not. I was taught, to put, commas, in sentences, whenever needed, when I went, to school and I readily, can understand, the teachings of “Cushing Academy.” [sic] Ha! Ha! Anyway, it doesn’t, cost, me a cent, �[Page 4] to add, it in. [sic] I’ve come to the conclusion that you count the words in my letters to see how long they are. My! My! - What next? Ha! Ha! So, you’ve set the law on me. Eh! Well, they’ll have a hard time to keep up with me in this man’s Army and I could lose them in these swamps. I believe I know where every mud hole is in these parts, for I haven’t missed a single one of them. So, I’m not afraid. I’ve borrowed Roy’s pen and must say it's a good one. He’s still in the kitchen and we are surviving from his cooking. He’s going to Texas to get married when he gets a furlough. Anyway, the love bug has bitten most of these boys here, for they all are writing to they’re girlfriends [Page 5] and proposing to them. I’ll bet my last dollar you can’t bake a cake as good as I can? Now, you’ve got a challenge. I haven’t looked around yet to see who smokes Kools or Raleigh cigarettes but I shall give an answer about it in my next letter. I can’t remember when Beasie and I gave you a scare, not unless it was riding on the toboggan when I was there. I was referring to the time when Beasie had to give me a kiss to get her money back. I sure get a kick out of that when I think of it. How is my little “Chick a dee” Gloria these days? [sic] Give her my regards and tell her I’m sneezing my tears away for her. Ha! Ha! [Page 6] Between you and I, have you got change for two gun patches? You haven’t? Well, don’t send me any wooden nickels, either, for them. Since I have plenty of stamps and can’t use them, I’m sending you a few, so that you will not have an excuse for not writing. Ha! Ha! How do you like my small writing? Not bad, I must admit and saving a lot of space. When you do make your first million, call me up and I’ll handle the business and [text strikethrough] financial transactions free of charge. Did you get that mannish jacket and skirt yet? I’ll bet you didn’t! You’ve sent this letter and another one with the stamps upside down. I take it as a mistake, but yet I wonder. [Page 7] �Don’t mind me, I’ve known all along. In other words, I’m not blind. How is the weather up there? It’s fine down here and it isn’t a season for ducks either. Don’t forget to give the folks my best regards and a big Hell----o, will you? [sic] The Wennebergs [?] still write to Roy, but I guess he isn’t interested in them anymore. He’s [text strikethrough] {good} got quite a few from Carolyn but hasn’t answered one or two of them so far. I’m about due for Guard duty and kitchen police so I’ve come to a distinct conclusion it will be Saturday and Sunday. I’ve sneezed over fifty times since I started to write this letter and my head feels as if it were like a big balloon. So, I will close till I hear from you again. As Ever, Joe {Signature accent mark} {Signature accent mark} {Signature accent mark} You’d better give up {arrow pointing to his additional signature accent mark mimicking hers} Perfect {arrow pointing to additional signature accent mark} P.S. Where are those pictures you were going to send me? Huh! {Signature accent mark as underlining} Excuse the mistakes for it was my sneezing. {additional signature accent marks} [Envelope front] P.F.C. Joe Olexa U.S. Army {Postmark} CAMP BLANDING APR 14 5 PM 1942 FLA. FREE {Signature accent mark} �Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 11 Main Street Ashburnham, Mass. [Envelope back] P.F.C. Joe Olexa Co. “L,” 26th Infantry Camp Blanding, Florida � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-13 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942-04-13 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 13, 1942 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 13, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated April 14, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while in good spirits, yet feeling under the weather, while at Camp Blanding and after attending the parade and church services in Jacksonville, Florida. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Camp Blanding (Fla.) Jacksonville (Fla.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c1ee2cfba4c2ce2ea194dfc420ce1955.pdf 71f87d1f02af0d5ad0f2b57ee838623f PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/58cc5883f388aedf9a34eb087a6c1735.pdf 11afaac80a7510a64513ef6479e8c627 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-13] [Page 1] North Africa April 13, 1943 Dear Agnes, Rec’d three of your latest letters of March 11, 16, and 19. I’m the same as usual and getting along as fine as can be. You state that my letters are far in between. Well, I have written every time I had the chance. I hope by now that you got most of them. Did you receive the French money and pictures I sent to you? I hope you did and if not let me know as soon as you can. I’ll send you some more if you didn’t. [Page 2] I got a letter from Helen, my brother Johnny, and a newspaper. I sure was glad to hear from them. So, you were surprised when Helen sent you that clipping. It’s all in a day's work and just a hint that it isn’t a picnic over here the way some people around there think. I don’t want people to worry about me, so that is the reason I don’t mention things about myself in letters. When I get back, I may try to answer some of your questions. I have written to you over [Page 3] a week ago and hope you get that letter too. I haven’t answered Beasie’s letter as yet but will when I have the time. Now for a little sad news. I’ve been reduced back down to the grade of Corporal for some unknown reason. It’s temporarily and I’ll probably get my promotion back again. I haven’t done anything wrong or holding out on information. When I find out the reason, I’ll let you know. Claypool and Tuck, the Lover, I used to write about are now missing in action. I don’t know whether they are captured or dead. [Page 4] Anyway, I am hoping that they are still well and alive. They were in my squad at the time and I sure miss them. I used to go out with them in the States and over here. Well, it’s the results of war, so we all have to take the breaks on the chin. Give the folks my regards and Hello. I still miss you as much as ever Sweets and hope that we will see each other sometime in the near future. Will close and write when you can. Yours, With Lots of Love Joe �{Signature accent mark} [Envelope front] Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1 ℅ Postmaster New York, N.Y. U.S. Army {Postmark} - partially illegible U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE [?] A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 11 Main Street Ashburnham, Mass. PASSED BY US 11147 ARMY EXAMINER Robert Ostwald 2nd Lt. Inf. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-13 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1943-04-13 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 13, 1943 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 13, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, New York, New York, dated April 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed overseas in North Africa and after receiving three of her letters written back in March, sharing the downhearted news of his returning to being a "Corporal" and the squad members who are missing in action. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Africa, North United States. Army Promotions Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/739fcfe22f60f62116c77dd86592a465.pdf d697d3dad91d120e336e700796290fdc PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/09e242370106e20187c4b92add8b7638.pdf fce909a863dac0d3d242afdd4b3b949a PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-14] [Page 1] England April 14, 1944. Hello “Darling,” Got two of your letters today dated March 24th & 28th and a letter from your mother. It sure was swell to hear from the both of you. I’m fine as usual “Sweets,” and hope you are the same. I still miss you and love you as much as ever “Darling” and can hardly waite [sic] to be with you again. I’ve answered your mother’s letter already and asked for their consent to get engaged. I just couldn’t keep it any longer and waiting doesn’t help me any. It will be grand to get engaged to you “Darling,” although I did want to be there but waiting to get back is too much to do. Don’t you think so? We can plan every [Page 2] thing when I return though can’t we? As I told your mother, I don’t intend to get married while being in the Army. Of course, “Sweets” I want your opinion too and we can plan everything as time goes along. I shall though, waite for your mother’s and father’s decisions and what they think, will be right? If they do give their consent here is what I’m going to do? [sic] I’m going to have Helen send you a hundred and fifty dollars to get an engagement ring and a wedding ring. You may think it will be a lot but it will be worthwhile to get good ones. I’d like the wedding ring to be plain for if there are small diamonds in it, they may fall out when you least expect them to. I’m not trying to discourage you on [Page 3] the one you like and I shall let you decide. I don’t want you to be hasty in any of your decisions and really piece them together. I’m really excited as much as you are “Sweets” and who wouldn’t be? I repeat, that I wish I were there to tell you all I have written and will someday if you want me to. I always did want a wedding ring that matched the ones of the girl I marry, with her buying it from her own earnings. In that way, I always shall cherish it and appreciate it, more, than anyone will ever know. I may be asking for a lot but it will be something I shall never forget. This is only my opinion and when we can plan all of this together everything will be to our liking. I don’t intend to come to conclusions until I hear of what your folks think and [Page 4] I shall not be discouraged if they want us to waite [sic] and as time goes on, let them know of our plans. They shall be very helpful with their suggestions of our plans. Don’t you think so? I shall tell Helen to waite till she hears from you whether to send you the money to get the rings or not. I will not tell anyone else till I hear from you and your folks. Well “Darling” I shall close being excited, as we are and hope to hear from you real soon. �Yours forever With Loads of Love & Kisses, Joe {Signature accent mark} P.S. Gave away one of my biggest secrets didn’t it? Helen has my bank book and is taking care of my money for me. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-14 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-04-14 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 14, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 14, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes sharing the heartfelt news that he wrote to her mother asking for Agnes' hand in marriage, as he is unable to keep his secret from her any longer. He writes with great excitement over planning their future together, awaiting her parents' decision and Agnes' response in the days ahead. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Love letters Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/01cff356e44f5b614a969ea7460ea3ab.pdf 49055d66aa76c8673f0ef1f441fb36e2 PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cb6e34c9ba34f6a4f259710e79e2a3e7.pdf aceb0ee09d5299112a0adc1cf8497376 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-16] [Page 1] England April 16, 1944. Hello “Darling,” Shall write a few lines before going to church this morning and finish it when I get back. Thought of you all day yesterday sweets and wished ever so much to have you here with me. I’m still yearning to be with you again and love you more and more each day. I hope you will receive my letter of April 14th before you get this one. I just couldn’t keep my secret any longer and hope you will accept my proposal of getting engaged. Of course, it will have to be on the decision of your mother and father. If they do give their [Page 2] consent, we can plan together all things that will agree to both of us. I hated to propose through a letter “Darling” but being so far away, I thought it would be best. I would of [sic] liked to be there to ask you “Sweets” and I’ll do it anyway when I return. I know that we shall be happy and contented in the future to come. In life people have many disappointments but as long as we face them and make them crumble, we can enjoy all of the happiness, there is, in our future. [sic] The only big thing is to adjust our ways to each other and have faith in each other. When this is done nothing shall keep us from being happy. Don’t [Page 3] you think so? I always did want a nice wedding, not too big and no doubt you have thought of the same thing. It has made me very happy to propose to you “Darling” knowing that someday we shall share our lives together. I just got back from church and I heard a very good sermon. While I [was] walking along I thought and wished that you could be here to go with me. Yesterday I saw the picture “Lassie Come Home” and another one “Secret Enemies.” After having a bite to eat I went to another show and saw ‘Candlelight in Algeirs [Algeria]” and “A Ghost and a Guest.” They were swell pictures. The one of Algiers was of the preparations [Page 4] for the invasion of North Africa. It was a great interest to me and what a great success the whole plans were and that it was liberated of Nazism. Well, “Darling” I shall close hoping to hear from you real soon. Yours forever, With Loads of Love & Kisses Joe {Signature accent mark} �P.S. Give my regards to your folks. Excuse the writing. It’s terrible!! [Envelope front] S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y. U. S. Army {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 APR 19 1944 A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave., S.W. Grand Rapids, 9 Mich. PASSED BY 20639 U.S. ARMY EXAMINER Lt. [?] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-16 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-04-16 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 16, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 16, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 19, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes in great anticipation as he awaits her response regarding their engagement, dreaming of their future wedding and the life they will build together. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Love letters Motion pictures--1940-1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6fdfba4044dd7e7ef042b516c352fe49.pdf eee7b8f0c51711be6c8e3aec6953ad1d PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c220bfe2e2d03c3f99b4694f2c019b01.pdf 32b1811ab77da42dd7987a7a6e451fb4 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-17] [Page 1] North Africa April 17, 1943 Dear Agnes, Writing a few lines since I have some spare time at the moment. I’m still the same and in good health. Hope that this letter finds you the same. I hope that after this campaign [I] will be able to go back to the states for a rest. It was a good rumor once but it’s torn to pieces now. How is everyone over there nowdays? [sic] Don’t forget to give them my best regards. Roy came up to see me the other day and we had a pretty good chat together. The next day I went down to visit him [Page 2] and ate supper down there with him. It was a good ways back to our company so he took me back in a “Jeep.” He also showed me Carolyn’s graduation picture. It was a good picture of her. We got paid the other day for the first time in two months. I sent the money to my sister for safe keeping, for I can’t spend it over here. I suppose by now that spring is in full swing over there. It is getting a lot hotter over here too. I would like to be over there for Easter but that’s out [Page 3] with the distance too great. Well “sweets,” I haven’t much to write which isn’t unusual so I shall close. Write when you can and in the meantime I shall be thinking of you. Yours, With Lots of Love Joe {Signature accent mark} P.S. Give the Walsh’s my regards when you see them. [Envelope front] Cpl. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. #1 �℅ Postmaster New York, N.Y. U.S. Army {Postmark} - partially illegible U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE APR 2 [?] 1943 A.P.O. Via Air Mail Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 11 Main Street Ashburnham, Mass. PASSED BY US 11147 ARMY EXAMINER Robert Ostwald 1st Lt. Inf. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1943-04-17 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1943-04-17 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 17, 1943 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 17, 1943. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, New York, New York, dated April 1943. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while stationed overseas in North Africa and in good health, sharing the news of their recent payday and how he wishes he could return home for Easter. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Africa, North Easter Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a6d47d404e1056dc7cbdae71ac4e3819.pdf 152f1ad541432752114286d83b6c2d5c PDF Text Text ��������� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/203935df0a67b3867db910f31f18aecb.pdf 57ce04dee2d74f15dd55b5e98ee0e422 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-02] [Page 1] England April 2, 1944. Hello Darling, Just got back from Church and how I wished that we could have gone together. Rec’d three of your letters a couple of days ago and was very pleased to get them. I did miss them and your kisses and hope both of our mail doesn’t get on a banana boat. Ha! Ha! I keep reading your letters over and over, which makes everything tingle inside of me. I look at your pictures and it is very tempting to try and bite your ears and mess your curls. Wish you were here “Darling” so I wouldn’t have to write about it. I love you very much “Darling,” miss you a plenty and [Page 2] my thoughts are always of you. When I return all of my writing will be put in use and squeeze you ever so much and tell you how much I have missed you. It will be swell, to be together again and talk over our future plans. Days that we have missed being together will be forgotten. My hopes, thoughts and wishes will never cease to be with you always. See!! What you have done to me young lady? So, you’re blaming me again for your cold. What an awful meanie you are but young lady, there will be a day that I shall get even? Ha! Ha! If I were there now, I’d knip that nose of yours just for a starter? [sic] Ha! Ha! I did it anyway on the picture. Did you feel it? I’m so pleased to hear my [Page 3] folks asked you down for Easter and hope you can visit them? I can’t be there but you can look at the pictures I have at home and think of me and you being together. I read in a paper not so long ago of a fellow who returned from the front and broke two ribs squeezing his mother so hard. Now if I were to squeeze you and my mother that hard I’d get credit for four ribs. Gee!! That’s going to be swell and then I could bring flowers and candy every day for the both of you. See!! What the both of you are in for? Ha! Ha! It’s misty out today and when I go for a stroll this afternoon, you’re going to be my sunshine. I take you with me everywhere whether you want to go or not and when I climb a hill [Page 4] and see all of the scenery below you are with me to enjoy all the things that mother nature makes and at times people don’t even notice. Sometimes, I hate to leave for everything in the countryside is so beautiful. Just think for a minute of being on a high hill looking down and far into the horizon. What do you see? The first thing that could catch your eye is the countryside filled with trees, patches of ground that look white, tan, and brown. From there you may gaze at the green trees, the vastness of grass, a twisting creek in the valley below, a winding road perhaps that brought you to the top of the hill you are on. Nothing seemed to be interesting as �you came up but when your gaze went in the direction you came, everything sprang to life. It’s so peaceful and quiet, no noise [Page 5] to interfere with your thoughts. You may see a town far off with tiny houses of different colors that were so large an hour or two ago. Your eyes then will shift to a big prominent building or a church that stands all alone and say Gee!! I didn’t know that building was so big? Only a short time ago mother nature wasn’t very interesting but you see it now and it’s all yours to look at from day to day. Time passes swiftly and you hate to leave, for everything was so nice, as you start on your way down the road the buildings and trees get bigger; they stand alone now but way up they were tiny and together. Coming into town wasn’t half as nice, as it was on the hill, for you heard a lot of noises, saw people running to and fro, the world seemed to be in one block crowded with hardly [Page 6] room to walk, your mind then wonders, to the different objects you picked out while on the hill, you seem to forget the people and everything about you. With a sudden jolt you awaken to see who bumped into who, an apology of “I’m sorry,” and then on your way, again toward home. Of course you’ll say I’m going up there again, it was so nice to get away from your daily work and the buildings that were so big. Well “Darling” I could go on but don’t you think one trip is enough for today? Ha! Ha! Gee!! I’m tired? Ha! Ha! I saw Roy last nite [sic] and gave him your regards. As yet I haven’t met his wife but I will when I meet him again. He didn’t have much to say, so I didn’t visit with him long. I got a letter and a package from Helen yesterday. Her cookies sure were good. Every time she sends me some I think of the first ones she ever baked and [Page 7] she wasn’t discouraged by the taste of her cookies now. Can you bake any for me? If you can, I’ll promise to send a request every two weeks. I like fat ones, thin ones, big ones, and small ones. What kind can you make? I don’t mean to be a tease and I’m really serious. After all I haven’t eaten any you made so don’t forget to get up a lot of courage and a little bit of confidence and make some. Will you? I also heard from my brother Johnny but as yet no word from home. I guess they are still busy with the moving. How is your mother and dad? Don’t forget to give them my regards and hello. Is Venna back from New Jersey? I suppose she hated to leave. Well I wouldn’t blame her. Give her a hello for me when you see [Page 8] her again. I must say, I did surprise myself by writing so much but it is always for a swell girl, like you, be they short or long of my thoughts and love for you. Will close “Darling” and write real soon. Yours forever, �With Loads of Hugs & Kisses Joe {Signature accent mark} [Envelope front] S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1 c/o P.M. - New York, N. Y. U. S. Army Free {Signature accent mark} {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 APR 5 1944 A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave., S.W. Grand Rapids, 9 Mich. PASSED BY 20639 U.S. ARMY EXAMINER Lt. [?] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-04-02 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 2, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 2, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 5, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes discussing his family's upcoming Easter and his latest stroll around the countryside where he appreciated the beauty of Mother Nature and imagined being together with Agnes. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Love letters Easter Nature Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6306f2cffb14015546547ef19268e6e5.pdf 0c027d45b7c12d0e7402b1c2b65df16f PDF Text Text ��������� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/189a5c5a600de547035954e082b1f275.pdf a29cf058c2f41bcdf5866db2c15a20ec PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-20] [Page 1] Co. “L,” 26th Infantry Camp Blanding, Fla. April 20, 1942. Dear Agnes, Rec’d your letter today and was glad to hear from you. I feel O.K. now since my cold went away. On that hike last week, we hiked 22 miles to start it off, then two days of rest and another long hike back to camp, getting ready for Saturday's inspection. Tonite [sic] we are going out on a problem which will last till dawn. That hike we had last week made us boys tired even [Page 2] though we are used to hiking. At present, I’m on K.P. and just got a break, so I decided to answer your letter. Saturday afternoon, I got a light tan and will keep sunning myself till I get darker. Nothing of interest to write this time and it's the same old routine. Roy was saying to me today that he is going to write you a letter. Carolyn writes to him about three times a week and [Page 3] he doesn’t answer them. I also saw a very good picture which has a lot of laughs in it. The name of it is “The Fleet’s In” with Dorothy Lamour. Where are those pictures you were going to send me? You’ll have to take one wearing your suit so I can see what kind of a man you are. Ha! Ha! So, you think my brother is different, well, I say he isn’t, for I’ve known him a long time. He’s a flattering fool and who can’t be? Not my nature. Tee! Hee! [Page 4] His girlfriend writes to me so that makes us even. I’ve known her since she was knee high to a grasshopper. Nice kid and going to be a school teacher. She’s at college now. So, you have the impression men can’t keep a budget and don’t know where their money goes. You’d be surprised and he can account for every cent. That’s more than women can do? Ha! Ha! [sic] �The weather down here is swell and I’ll bet it's kinda cold up there. How is my cutie pie, Gloria? Haven’t heard from her in a coon’s age? [Page 5] - mistakenly written as page 6 with roman numerals “VI” I’m a wondering if she’s still living. [sic] When is she going to break her heart and write, to bring up my mail percentage. Mail service is free to me, ya know. Ha! Ha! My brother hasn’t written me a letter as yet, except for two cards and I’m going to give him a lecture for not writing. My father was visiting also at my sister’s in Buffalo and only a few miles away from there. We have been wearing our summer clothes a week and it sure is a relief. [Page 6] Ran out of blue lead so I’ll finish with this. What were you trying to do, fool me by writing a letter in pencil and the address with ink? My! My! Well, it's getting around to the time that I’ve got to go to work again, so I’ll close. Give the folks my best regards. As Ever, Joe {Signature accent mark} P.S. Roy said to give all of you his regards and a big Hello. [Page 7] P.S.S. You ought to see my haircut now. Just as short as I could get it without getting a baldy. [sic] Ha! Ha! I’ve been listening to a woman squealing like a pig on the radio and I wish she were in front of me right now, so that I could throw rotten tomatoes at her. Roy yelled for K.P.’s so off I go. [Envelope front] �P.F.C. Joe Olexa U.S. Army {Postmark} CAMP BLANDING APR 21 3 PM 1942 FLA. FREE {Signature accent mark} Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 11 Main Street Ashburnham, Mass. [Envelope back] P.F.C. Joe Olexa Co. “L,” 26th Infantry Camp Blanding, Fla. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1942-04-20 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942-04-20 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 20, 1942 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 20, 1942. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry, A.P.O. #1, Camp Blanding, Florida, dated April 21, 1942. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while taking a break on K.P. duty and discusses the recent 22 mile hiking trip during training, in addition to their families and the agreeable weather in Florida. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Camp Blanding (Fla.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c8915bee8ea01e404e3884574373a2d4.pdf 99e09db8bd4a9a7aeee5134b42d355b2 PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/98d9aa48cd7dd67a8c15d6d0d2efe5b8.pdf 3e07df6046e66ea6e27066ec578626fc PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-20] [Page 1] England April 20, 1944. Hello “Darling,” Rec’d two of your letters dated April 7th & 10th and was very pleased to hear from you. Was glad to hear you enjoyed yourself visiting your cousin. Gee!! “Sweets,” I sure would like to see your Easter outfit and dress, maybe I will someday? I still miss you as much as ever “Darling” and you are always in my thoughts. I guess, I am just about as anxious of seeing you, as you are me. We don’t know when that will be, but it’s going to be a grand day for us, isn’t it? I love you as much as ever [Page 2] “Darling” and never get tired of looking at your pictures. I sure would like to bite your ears right now and squeeze you ever so much, just for my being away so long and missing all of your hugs and kisses. See! What you’ve done to me young lady? No, I shan’t be selfish in the things I’m going to do and I guess we won’t have much rest either. It will be worth it though, won’t it? Well, “Darling,” I just can’t waite [sic] for your answer to my proposal and I still wish that I was there to ask you about getting engaged. I just couldn’t waite [sic] any longer, though, so I decided [Page 3] to ask. If your folks do give their consent, it’s going to be grand to be engaged to a swell girl like you. If you are in doubt just wait till I get back and I’ll prove it. Your letters and kisses mean so much to me and I can’t help thinking of how much I love you and missed you. This war may keep us apart but my thoughts are always bringing you to me. At times, I just wish I could take you out of the imaginary picture before me and squeeze you with all my might. Someday I shall be able to do that and I shan’t ever let up because I’ve always been yearning to be with you [Page 4] again. I’m very pleased to hear that you’re not going to cut your hair. To me, you look very beautiful, having it that way. You needn’t worry about some other girl over here “Sweets” because there isn’t any that could be as good as you. At that, I don’t have time for any because I have you with me wherever I go. Well “Darling” I shall close hoping to hear from you real soon. How are your folks? Don’t forget to give them my best regards? Went down to visit Roy but he wasn’t around. Don’t know when I shall bump into him again. Yours forever, With “Loads of Love & Kisses” Joe �{Signature accent mark} P.S. Don’t forget to send some more pictures? [Envelope front] S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Inf. A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y. U. S. Army Free {Signature accent mark} {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 APR 25 1944 A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave., S.W. Grand Rapids, 9 Mich. PASSED BY 20639 U.S. ARMY EXAMINER Lt. [?] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1944-04-20 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-04-20 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 20, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 20, 1944. The envelope is sent from Co. L, 26th Infantry A.P.O.-1, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 25, 1944. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes while awaiting the answer to his proposal and looks forward to the grand day when they are able to see each other once again. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Love letters Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a8663a4da4a88a74dcb12086d63e50bc.pdf ef33accd8075b580c2d88d16ab4af99c PDF Text Text ����� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/799ed79ed2d9be86c98979ac580db6ee.pdf 0b8ffa1857eede9422052eb7a17b72c7 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Olexa_1945-04-21] [Page 1] England April 21, 1945. “My Dearest Darling,” Haven’t written to you in over a week and I hope I am forgiven. We have been very busy and a lot of times, I started to write but was too tired to finish. I was very surprised “Sweets” to get that package you sent to me with the watch and fountain pen in it. That was the only thing out of the package that was not broken or spoiled. Gee! “Darling” I miss you terribly and could stand a lot of “loving” from you. I keep looking forward to the time when we shall be together. Gosh! I have so much that I would like to do then. I’m going to squeeze [Page 2] you with all my might and never let up. I love you with all my heart “Darling” and waite [sic] for the day when we shall get married and start our little home, being happy and living an enjoyable life. Golly! I wish it were now, don’t you? I shan’t be worried about you hugging and kissing me till I vanished but will love it. I wish you would squeeze me real hard right now. Will you? I’m glad you liked my flowers I had sent to you. Wish I could’ve been there to see them in full bloom. I’m sorry to hear about your aunt passing away but we all shall go when the time comes. It was very saddening news to hear of President [Page 3] Roosevelt passing away and of Ernie Pyle the news reporter. I remember him from Africa and give him a lot of credit of appreciation for what he got for us boys. He was a swell guy. I was sorry to hear that my folks did not get to see you, but they will when they can get away. I still haven’t gotten those pictures of you that were taken when you went down to Helen’s and I hope that I shall receive that. Your small proofs are wonderful and you look very beautiful in every one of them. How’s your mother and father these days? Don’t forget to give them my best of wishes, will you. Yes! “Darling” the Lord does wonderful things for us if we are patient and think of Him always. Thee [?] has brought me through the Valley [Page 4] of Shadow of Death not once but many, many times. I thought that I would not make it and I’m thankful to him. I’m still waiting patiently for my name to appear on orders for that furlough home. Gosh! What a wonderful day it will be to be with you once again. I’ve missed almost 3 years of loving, so do you think I can make it up in 45 days? I knew you’d say no. Meanie! Ha! Ha! Well, “Precious” I shall close for now hoping to hear from you real soon. Always, With Loads of Love & Kisses �Your Future Husband “Joe” {Signature accent mark} [Envelope front] S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) 6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.) 6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.) A.P.O.-551 c/o PM. – N.Y., N.Y. {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE APR 22 1945 A.P.O. Miss Agnes Van Der Weide 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids, 9 Mich. PASSED BY 56591 U.S. ARMY EXAMINER [?] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Joe Olexa letters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Van Der Weide, Agnes Description An account of the resource Collection of letters between Joseph Olexa and Agnes Van Der Weide, dating from 1941 to 1946. Olexa fought in the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division, Company "L", and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Over the course of World War II, Olexa was engaged in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. While deployed abroad, Olexa maintained regular correspondence with Agnes Van Der Weide, a young woman he met through mutual friends. Agnes was the daughter of Benjamin and Minnie (Ter Meer) Van Der Weide. The Van Der Weide family lived in Jamestown, Michigan and Ashburnham, Massachusetts until moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943. While the letters do not contain details relating to Olexa's military activities, due to heavy censorship of soldiers' correspondence by the U.S. Army, the letters do depict the daily activities of an infantry soldier and illustrate the blossoming romance between the two. Joseph and Agnes were married July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes's death in 1993. Joseph Olexa died December 3, 2000. They were survived by their son, Karl Olexa. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1941/1946 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence (RHC-93)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93 Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-93_Olexa_1945-04-21 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Olexa, Joseph P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1945-04-21 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 21, 1945 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, dated April 21, 1945. The envelope is sent from 6916 Reinf. Co. (Prov.), 6903 Reinf. Bn. (Prov.), A.P.O.-551, c/o Postmaster New York, New York, dated April 22, 1945. In the letter, Joe writes to Agnes for the first time in over a week, sharing his appreciation for the package she sent him in addition to the news of President Roosevelt and American journalist and war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, passing away. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Army. Infantry Division, 26th World War, 1939-1945 Soldiers -- Michigan Correspondence Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 Pyle, Ernie, 1900-1945 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/543">Joseph P. Olexa WWII memoir and correspondence, (RHC-93)</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World War II Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives