13 24 297 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/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/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/583c848951739fd51f878926f9e91234.pdf b5d31bd63eb6670b3923bc06bf0deade PDF Text Text ��� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55ac1cc9624e4f268d0e746a15368d16.pdf b9747b79f298dc3f3538f9f96bc44f89 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-10-24] [Page 1] [Card front] SHHH! Our new Baby’s Asleep! [Page 2] Sometimes we’ll tip-toe ‘round the house Just as quiet as a mouse But then we start to feel so proud We can’t help bragging long and LOUD Because it’s a Boy name Paul Delano who arrived Oct. 20th weighing 9 lbs 4 ½ oz. Mr and Mrs B. Van Der Weide [Envelope front] 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS OCT 24 12 PM 1944 MICH. S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y. Both 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_1944-10-24 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 Birth announcement from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, October 24, 1944 Description An account of the resource Birth announcement 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 24, 1944. In the card, Agnes announces the birth of her baby brother named Paul who arrived on October 20th, 1944. 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/d22d27967274f78cbd102b079739d7ea.pdf 1d4cd5ba5a18674f630e824c91059ef5 PDF Text Text ��� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b6b73c314f0956d0af5fca28eb22a8c6.pdf c42e584ff6cc438b5e636833a9d92a7c PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-08-27] [Page 1] August 27, 1944 My dearest Darling, Received a couple of your letters yesterday, and the one with the money orders in. The money is already safe and sound in the bank. I put it in with my little bank account. I’m so glad you got the pictures because I sent those quite a while back. Evidentally you didn’t get the picture I sent of myself with the pup. I sent that one before I did the others. On that picture I’ve got my hair fixed the way you like it “darling.” This other way is so nice and cool in the summer. Did you get the card I sent you from Grand Haven? I could tell your morale went up when you got those pictures and letters because you sounded so happy in your letter. I can always tell by your letters what kind of mood you’re in. {red lipstick imprint} [Page 2] I sure will give you two years’ worth of hugs and kisses when you get back. I sure do miss them ever so much and I keep looking forward to your coming home for good. We’ll eat watermelon and do all the things we’ve always wanted to do. There’s [sic] so many places we could go, and I know we shall be very, very happy. I love you so much “darling.” It will be a grand day when we’re married, and we shall be able to share our lives for life. Won’t it? We’ve got so much to look forward to. When I see you, I think I’ll fall into your arms and stay there forever. I wonder just how we’ll act when the day really comes. What do you think of Paris being liberated. [sic] Isn’t it great? We just heard a broadcast from there, and we could hear the people yelling and there was some shooting yet. Yours always With Loads of Love Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] After five days return to �1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS AUG 28 2 PM 1944 MICH. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “K,” Det. of Patients 4167 U.S. Hosp. Plant A.P.O. – 514-A [?] 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_1944-08-27 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 1944-08-27 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, August 27, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated August 27, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated August 28, 1944. In the letter, Agnes expresses her happiness in knowing Joe received her photographs, her affection for him and an eagerness for their marriage someday. She closes her letter mentioning Paris' liberation from Nazi occupation while inquiring about Joe's thoughts on the major world event. 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/503f2ac37cb03193bb4e3304e4e23153.pdf 7b05e22c1ef3a7dc25ec7296d37e06dd PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/13ce6182b8bef3c210683f3ddf148b33.pdf a5ca076c61f47523d9c3d55fe160dbf5 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-08-17] [Page 1] August 17, 1944 My dear Joe, Didn’t receive any mail from you today, but am writing to let you know that everything is fine, except that I’m terribly lonesome for you. Sometimes I don’t know to do with myself when I get so lonesome. I think of you all the time sweets and miss you so much. Gloria has gone roller skating with Venna tonight. I can’t roller skate very good so I didn’t go. Can you rink skate at all! I’m going to the beach at Grand Haven this weekend. A couple gals from the store are vacationing down there for a weekend and some of the rest are going to stay with them for the weekend. Elaine and Beatrice and a couple of other girls are sleeping in the {red lipstick imprint} [Page 2] backyard in a tent. Its rainproof, so it won’t be so bad if it rains. Someone asked me today if I got a new bracelet, so “darling” you can see what good care I have taken [text strikethrough] {care} of it. Its over two years ago that you gave it to me. Tomorrow is Friday, a busy day at the store, and I really hate to think of it, if it’s going to be hot. I still love you very much “darling” and pray we shall be together soon, and for good. I shall close and may God Bless you always. Yours always With Lots of Love and Kisses, Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] After five days return to 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. �{Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS AUG 18 2 PM 1944 MICH. VIA AIR MAIL S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “K,” Det. of Patients 4167 U.S. Hosp. Plant A.P.O. – 514-A [?] c/o P.M. New York, N. Y. [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_1944-08-17 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 1944-08-17 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, August 17, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated August 17, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated August 18, 1944. In the letter, Agnes expresses how lonesome she becomes when she hasn't heard from Joe, while focusing on weekend plans spent with girlfriends at the beach in Grand Haven, Michigan and her love for the bracelet he gave her years ago. 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/a840a7bbaf69387ebf1ce1ca60bb2bd9.pdf 8fc4ec3f30acd6634d70ec99ae3a1bc5 PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9333d051cfa88a241001e6172e35b934.pdf c3a4794faac60fad76833543c6c0e98a PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-07-04] [Page 1] July 4, 1944 Hello Darling, Received a letter from you written June 14th, and I must say it was a relief getting it. I’m so happy that you are safe and sound, and I’m praying that you still are at this time. Alice arrived here Sunday from Mass. and we sure are having a swell time. We went to the movies a couple of times, and today we went to the beaches at Grand Haven and Holland. We took some pictures, and I’m going to send you some, as soon as I get them. Even if they aren’t much good, I’ll send them to you. We were going to the amusement park, but we were dead tired so we changed our minds. I guess we’ll go tomorrow night instead. Gloria and Junior are going back with her, and they’re going to stay there a couple weeks. I would like to go back for a visit sometime, but I figured we might be able to go together sometime when you get home. {red lipstick imprint} Alice told Carolyn that we were [Page 2] engaged, and Carolyn and her mother laughed, and said they didn’t believe it. What do you think of it? I bet Carolyn is pretty jealous. A girl that works in the store with me, has a brother who just came home from the South Pacific. He has a 30 day furlough and got married last Saturday. It only took 3 days for their blood tests and license. Of course he had his blood test in the Army. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about waiting so long in case you don’t get a long furlough. Anyway, we can think about it as time goes along. I still love you very, very much “darling” and I’m getting so anxious to see you, I’m ready to burst. Well, I shall close for this time and write soon. With all my love, Agnes {signature accent mark} {red lipstick imprint} [Envelope front] After five days return to 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} �GRAND RAPIDS JUL 5 2 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. DET. OF. PAT. U.S. Army HOSP. PLANT [?] #4187 APO #152 8-9-44 [Envelope back] S.W.A.K. CONTROL SECTION {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 BPO 12 NOV 1944 � 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_1944-07-04 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 1944-07-04 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, July 4, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated July 4, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated July 5, 1944. In the letter, Agnes describes her relief in receiving a letter from Joe and tells him about her summer adventures going to the movies and the beaches of Grand Haven and Holland, Michigan. 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/43f4da5b5307a5040e14ba441499c3e9.pdf 4b939fc56f8c02b2555531b194e55bf4 PDF Text Text ���� https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d046731a8d69e8285188c8ff1db623af.pdf 3c2b27ed6999f6c848e6807c080caf71 PDF Text Text [RHC-93_Agnes_1944-06-27] [Page 1] June 27, 1944 Hello Darling Have been thinking of you a lot today, so thought I’d drop you a few lines again. Its [sic] terribly hot here tonight, it was 99 degrees all day, and that sure is hot weather to work in. I stood it though, although it made me dizzy a couple of times. The weather here is so different than in Mass. I just got through taking a bath, so I’m cooled off a little. “Darling”, I’m so anxious to hear from you and get some of your latest letters. The suspence [sic] is really getting me down. I’m praying that you are safe, and I’m sure the Lord will answer my prayers. I made some cookies for you, and am sending the box tomorrow morning. I don’t know if you’ll like the cookies or not, but remember “sweets” I’m just learning. I found you a fountain pen, and also hope that is alright. The watch and gum [?] is from Ollie as I told you before. I wanted to send you a can of pineapple, but it {red lipstick imprint} [Page 2] made the box overweight. I went to a girl’s house for dinner today. I work with her in the store. I sure had some nice Chop suey. Do you like Chop suey sweets. I hope you do, because I love it. Alice, from Mass. Is coming out here to visit me for a week. She should be here for this Sunday. I’m very anxious to see her again. I wish you were coming home to see me “darling”. I love you very much “darling” and my love for you grows deeper and deeper everyday way down in. I think about you constantly when I’m working, and whatever I’m doing. I got a letter from Ollie, and he kidded me about living on a farm after (you and I) we’re married. He knows I hate farms. Well, “darling,” I shall have to close for this time, and write soon. {red lipstick imprint} Yours forever With all my Love Agnes {signature accent mark} [Envelope front] �After five days return to 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids 9, Mich. {Postmark} GRAND RAPIDS JUN 28 5 PM 1944 MICH. S/Sgt. Joseph P. Olexa (12016893) Co. “L,” 26th Infantry A.P.O. - 1 c/o Postmaster New York, N. Y. DET. OF. PAT. U.S. Army HOSP. PLANT [?] #4187 APO #152 8-24-44 [Envelope back] S.W.A.K. CONTROL SECTION {Postmark} U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE 1 BPO 30 OCT 1944 � 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_1944-06-27 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 1944-06-27 Title A name given to the resource Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, June 27, 1944 Description An account of the resource Handwritten letter and envelope with transcript by Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, dated June 27, 1944. The envelope is sent from 1913 Berkley Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, dated June 28, 1944. In the letter, Agnes describes the hot weather conditions she is experiencing while anxiously awaiting to hear from Joe and details the gifts she will be sending him on the following day. 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