Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Nelle Schramm diaries

Abstract

The Nelle Schramm diaries (dated 1904-1958; 2.7 cubic feet; 6 boxes) comprises fourty-one diaries belonging to Nelle Schramm living in Bellaire, Ohio that documents her day to day life through wars, financial fluctuations and a growing family.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Nelle Schramm diaries
Date
1904-1958 (inclusive)
Creator
Schramm, Nelle
Extent
2.7 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Family.
Children -- Photographs.
Ohio
General stores.
Church
Small business -- Ownership.
Domestic Life -- United States
World War, 1914-1918.
World War, 1939-1945.
Korean War, 1950-1953
Cold war.
Depressions -- 1929 -- Ohio
Great Depression
Death
Groceries.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Hanna Rumbarger
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0574: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Nelle Schramm diaries, 1904-1958, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Nelle Schramm (1890-1958) of Bellaire, Ohio was born to William Schramm (1859-1937) and Louise Hahn Schramm (1860-1940), and had two other siblings, Albert Schramm (1885-1953), and Ross Schramm (1887-1970). Ross married Ella Schindler Schramm (1893-1985) and they had two kids together, Donald Howard Schramm (1926-1998) and Eloise Schramm (1921-1968). Eloise and Howard both taught grade school according to the dairies and Howard also served in World War II. Nelle never married and lived with Ross and Ella till her death in 1958.
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 Nelle Schramm diaries (dated 1904-1958; 2.7 cubic feet; 6 boxes) comprises fourty-one diaries belonging to Nelle Schramm living in Bellaire, Ohio that documents her day to day life through wars, financial fluctuations and a growing family. Nelle Schramm kept a diary from 1913 to 1958, and this collection also includes two diaries from her older brother Ross Schramm, from 1904 and 1907. Ross would write about school, chores around the house and the weather. Nelle kept her diary filled in consistently throughout the years and this set up included her daily entries, highlights of the year and list of Christmas gifts given and received at the end of the diary. Her daily entries always stated the weather, if she was working in the store or not that day, who she spent time with at home and any chores she did that day. Nelle spent a lot of time taking care of her parents, socializing with her sister in law, Ella Schindler, and helping her take care of her kids, Howard and Eloise. Nelle also kept track of the deaths, marriages, divorces and births in her Bellaire neighborhood and even kept one whole diary dedicated to local deaths from 1936 to 1937 and includes newspaper clips. At the end of each year she would write a short summary about the year and reflect on the grocery store she worked in and her mood. Business would fluctuate due to wars, The Great Depression and her personal health. The year span of these diaries is wide, and allows for rich detail about life in the U.S. as times are changing and major historical events are taking place.
The Nelle Schramm diaries collection is 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
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

Ross Schramm diaries, 1904-1907

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diaries, 1913-1919

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diaries, 1920-1932

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1926

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1927

  • Box 1, folder 5
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1928

  • Box 1, folder 6
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1929

  • Box 1, folder 7
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1930

  • Box 2, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1931

  • Box 2, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1932

  • Box 2, folder 3
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1933

  • Box 2, folder 4
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1934

  • Box 2, folder 5
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1936-1937

  • Box 2, folder 6
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1937

  • Box 2, folder 7
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1938

  • Box 3, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1939

  • Box 3, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1940

  • Box 3, folder 3
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1941

  • Box 3, folder 4
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1942

  • Box 3, folder 5
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1943

  • Box 3, folder 6
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1944

  • Box 4, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1945

  • Box 4, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1946

  • Box 4, folder 3
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1948

  • Box 4, folder 4
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1949

  • Box 4, folder 5
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1950

  • Box 5, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1951

  • Box 5, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1952

  • Box 5, folder 3
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1953

  • Box 5, folder 4
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1954

  • Box 5, folder 5
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1956

  • Box 6, folder 1
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1957

  • Box 6, folder 2
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Nelle Schramm diary, 1958

  • Box 6, folder 3
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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.

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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.