The Family and Personal Activities series consists largely of correspondence between
Laurence and Anne during his military service in World War II. This correspondence includes
Laurence's narratives about the POW and Displaced Persons camps he liberated in 1945 in
Germany and Austria, the countryside and local people encountered by his unit, and fatigue
regarding delay in his military discharge. Anne's school files contain some of her
coursework from Milwaukee-area Catholic schools. This series also includes daily journals,
family genealogies, and photographs of their extended family, as well as files on Anne and
Laurence's three daughters, Kathryn, Mary Eileen, and Margaret.
The subject matter of the scrapbooks located in this series complements material found in
all three series. These scrapbooks consist of letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and
other material. The scrapbooks were re-housed in archival-quality material during processing
and retain both their original titles and original order.
The Military Activities series documents Laurence's military career during World War II.
Laurence was also involved in veteran activities and reunions until his death in 2002. This
series includes notebooks, postcards, photographs and Laurence's military card and draft
notice. See also the correspondence files from the Family and Personal Activities, as those
letters provide additional details about Laurence during World War II.
The Professional and Service Activities series contains political files relating to the
couple's work with various political campaigns, including those of Carl Zeidler and Charles
Kersten, as well as their political affiliations with the G.O.P and Young Republican Club.
Subject files in this series document their various professional and service activities,
such as work done at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and the Milwaukee Chamber
Orchestra. The couple was also involved with the local civil rights movement, and this
series includes photographs taken at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial March in 1968,
showing Father Groppi, Jesse Jackson, and other notables.
