Title: Kenneth R. Blessing Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1934-1990s (bulk 1934-1946)

Creator:

• Blessing, Kenneth R.

Call Number: Mss 810; PH 6687

Quantity: 1.6 cubic feet (5 archives boxes) and 27 transparencies (1 folder)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers of Kenneth R. Blessing, a Milwaukee native who served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946. He was stationed in England, France, and Switzerland in 1945-1946 and served as a radio/teletype operator. The collection is made up of photocopies of three memoirs written by Blessing entitled Coming of Age in the 1930's, A Yank on the Homefront, 1943-1945, and A Yank Abroad, 1945-1946. Blessing wrote frequently during his enlistment to family and friends in Milwaukee and kept many diaries. Included with the collection is the original correspondence and diaries as well as typed transcripts. It is principally from these transcripts that the memoirs were derived.

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00810

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Kenneth R. Blessing, a Milwaukee native who served in the United States Army Air Corps during and post World War II, wrote three memoirs on his experiences growing up in Milwaukee in the 1930s and on his service, circa late 1980s-early 1990s.

Coming of Age in the 1930's documents Blessing's teenage years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The memoir mainly consists of transcribed diaries kept daily by Blessing from 1934 to 1940. The diary transcriptions describe Blessing's daily activities and social life and news stories, including the beginning of World War II in 1939. Blessing's diaries for 1934-1940 are also included.

A Yank on the Homefront consists of transcriptions of the detailed and descriptive letters Blessing wrote home describing a serviceman's life at the various army training camps in which he served. This memoir principally covers the social and recreational activities pursued by stateside servicemen and civilians during WWII. Original correspondence for 1943-1946 is also included. The memoir concludes with a chapter entitled Post-War Adjustment of a WWII Veteran which are transcripts of a diary Blessing maintained from his discharge on April 1, 1946 until September 21, 1946. The original diary is not included.

A Yank Abroad continues in the same vein principally describing the social life and surroundings of an American GI in Europe. It concludes with an autobiographical essay about Blessing's post-war experiences: his training and career in special education; his work at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; and information about his immediate family. Both memoirs are interspersed with photocopies of photographs; the originals are not included in this collection.

Also includes a few slides from 1972 to 1982, depicting Northern Wisconsin, including Eagle River, unidentified buildings, and inside a 1970s mall.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Kenneth R. Blessing in 1992, 1998 and 1999. Transparencies presented by Matt Blessing in 2012. Accession Number: M92-090, M99-120, M2000-108, M2012-047

Processing Information

Processed by Kim Long and Kyle Krause, October 1999, and Amy Rommel and Kyle Krause, June 2000.

Mss 810	Diaries
Box   1 Folder   1	1934-1938
Box   1 Folder   2	1937
Box   1 Folder   3	Travel, 1937
Box   1 Folder   4	Travel, 1938
Box   1 Folder   5	Travel, 1939
Box   1 Folder   6	Travel, 1940
	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   2	1943 February 26 - June 30
Box   2 Folder   3	1943 July 12 - August 30
Box   2 Folder   4	1943 September 4 - December 29
Box   2 Folder   5	1944 January 2 - September 2
Box   2 Folder   6	1944 July 1 - December 19
Box   2 Folder   7	1945 January 14 - March 29
Box   2 Folder   8	1945 March 30 - August 1
Box   2 Folder   9	1945 August 2 - December 30
Box   2 Folder   10	1946 January 1 - March 18
Box   2 Folder   11	Furlough Calendar
	Manuscripts, circa late 1980s-early 1990s
Box   3 Folder   1-5	Coming of Age in the 1930's
Box   4 Folder   1-7	A Yank on the Homefront, 1943-1945
Box   5 Folder   1-3	A Yank Abroad, 1945-1946
Box   2 Folder   1	Author's Notes
PH 6687	Slides, 1972-1982