Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Earl E. Benzler letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Earl E. Benzler letters
- Date
- 1943 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Benzler, Earl Emerson, 1924-1997
- Extent
- 0.05 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Farm life -- Ohio
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0055: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Earl E. Benzler letters, 1943, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Earl Emerson Benzler was born August 11, 1924 to Harry R. (1896-1970) and Marie S. Benzler (1900-1978). He and his family lived on his grandparent's farm in Marion County, Ohio, and they grew wheat and corn and raised dairy cattle. He was drafted into service on July 3, 1943 and reported for his physical at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio before going through boot camp at Fort Riley, Kansas. His mother and father considered his being drafted unjust because he was needed on the farm and tried to get him released from duty. On March 16, 1947, Benzler married his first wife, Ann Dickens (1924-2016) and on April 21, 1981, he married his second wife, Mildred Delores Dietsch (1920-1997). Benzler passed away on August 10, 1997.
- 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 Earl E. Benzler letters (dated 1943; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise 12 letters from family and friends that document farm work, neighborhood events, and social life in Marion County, Ohio during World War II. The letters are from Earl Benzler's parents and girl-friends that were sent to him while he was at boot camp at Fort Riley in Kansas.
- The Earl E. Benzler letters 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
Letters, 1943 August
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.
