Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edna J. Boots Lemons Storts papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edna J. Boots Lemons Storts papers
- Date
- 1912-1943 (inclusive)
- 1942-1943 (bulk)
- Creator
- Storts, Edna J. Lemons, 1911-1986
- Extent
- 0.35 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Kentucky
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Kentucky.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0128: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Edna J. Boots Lemons Storts papers, 1912-1943, bulk 1942-1943, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Edna J. "Boots" Lemons Storts (1911-1986) was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Harry Lemons (1890-1942) and Edna Ruth Staab (1893-1966); she was the younger of two daughters. Her sister, Mary L. Lemons Colston (b. 1909), was a stenographer for a Louisville attorney and her father was a railroad car inspector. For the duration of World War II, Boots was engaged to John S. Storts (1921-1992), a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, and they married in 1945. John was in the 2nd Marine Division and saw action at Guadalcanal and most likely Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa too.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Edna J. "Boots" Lemons Storts papers (dated 1912-1943, bulk 1942-1943; 0.35 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters and papers documenting the experiences of soldiers in the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy stationed stateside and abroad during World War II. The letters are sent to Edna and come from a variety of authors, including future husband John Storts, future brother-in-law U. Hershey Storts, and boyfriends Harry T. Anderson, Robert Ruckreigel, and Theodore Konecko. The letters discuss having meals with Edna and her parents while the men were in Kentucky, dances attended, work, training, experiences within camps, family relationships, and daily events. Within the letters there are several derogatory references made by the soldiers towards Germans, Japanese, and Italians. Additionally, the collection contains the marriage certificate of John Storts parents – Urban W. Storts and Susanna L. Hershey.
- The Edna J. "Boots" Lemons Storts are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Urban W. Storts and Susanna L. Hershey marriage license, 1912
Correspondence, 1942-1943, undated
1942 February
1942 March
1942 April
1942 June
1942 July-August
1942 September-November
1942 December
1943 January-February
1943 March
1943 April
1943 May-June
1943 July
1943 August
1943 September-December
Undated
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
