Collections

Badia Family WWII Letters Collection contains over 500 letters and associated ephemera relating to correspondence between Danny Badia and Leona De Nardo between the years 1941 and 1947. Primarily relating to WWII, these letters offer a glimpse into civilian and military life in the United States during the war years. Danny Badia born Dante Alighieri Badia (1922-2006) to Angelo and Laurina Badia of Ohio. In 1917, Danny's parents immigrated from Italy to the US and started a family. The letters are primarily from Danny's family, future wife and sweetheart Leona De Nardo (née Buccilli). They were married in 1944 and were together for 62 years when Danny passed away in 2006.

This collection of correspondence and maps by World War I United States Army Officer Marvin Kemery describes the emotions and environment in which he served. Private Marvin E. Kemery, Fourth Army, 37th Division, 135th Field Artillery Regiment wrote home on a weekly basis. His letters discuss training and service overseas. This collection includes 45 letters with envelopes, two felt caps, one army patch and a eight maps.

This collection contains the correspondence of Virginia Huber (1927 – 2014) to and from six servicemen from the vicinity of her hometown in Forrest, Illinois during World War II. The correspondence was carefully collected, arranged, and preserved by Virginia who was a senior in high school when she began writing to several of these young men. Virginia's letters to the servicemen were originally handwritten but she carefully typed and preserved a copy on onion skin paper which she housed in brown folders with each man's name, rank, and location. After graduating from high school, Virginia held the position of secretary to the Traffic Manager at Honnegers' Feeds located in Fairbury, Illinois. She was active in her local church and community, which she writes about in her letters. Because Virginia and the servicemen were united by geographic location, the letters represent a wide range of American military experience during World War II. The six men include: Norman Funk, a Naval airman from Roanoke, Illinois stationed in Jacksonville, FL; Roy Funk, an Army serviceman from Gridley, Illinois stationed in Camp Crowder and Camp Polk; Art Hartman, an Army serviceman from Strawn, Illinois stationed in Camp Lee, Virginia; Raymond Johnson, a Naval serviceman from Illinois; Howard Sauder, an Army sergeant from Roanoke, Illinois stationed in Aleutian Islands; Albert Steffen, a Naval serviceman from Elgin, Illinois stationed in Okinawa. This collection is remarkable for its inclusion of letters by Virginia, providing a complete picture of the correspondence between this woman and the soldiers of World War II.