Summary Information
Marjorie and Mondell Stewart Papers and Photographs
1942-1945
- Marjorie and Mondell Stewart
WVM Mss 894
0.8 linear ft. (2 archives boxes and 1 flat box) of papers and 2 folders of photographs.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)
Papers and photographs of Marjorie Johnson Stewart and Mondell Stewart, who both served in the armed forces during World War II and married during the war. Marjorie Johnson Stewart was a member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), which later became the Women's Army Corps (W.A.C.) and did clerical work. Mondell Stewart served as a medic for the Army Air Force at various stateside air fields. The collection consists largely of the letters exchanged between the two following Marjorie's discharge due to pregnancy. In her letters to her husband, Marjorie described her pregnancy, her loneliness for him, and the conditions at home. After the birth of their daughter, Marsha, she described her feelings about motherhood and her struggles adapting to having a baby around the house. Mondell's letters to his wife describe his day-to-day life on several different air fields in the United States in the final months of the war and the first months after its end. He, too, expresses his feelings of loneliness and his impatience to return to her. Also in this series is a large binder containing the training materials Marjorie received and used during her first months in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Photographs consists of a photograph of Marjorie in W.A.C. uniform and another of her and Mondell, both in uniform, on their wedding day. Also included are small picture postcards of WAAC training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00894 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Marjorie I. Johnson was born in Burnett, Wisconsin on April 21, 1921. She attended schools in nearby Horicon and graduated from the local high school in 1938. She worked various jobs in the area until enlisting in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) at the end of 1942. She received basic training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and additional specialized training at Denton, Texas. She was then assigned to Freeman Field in Seymour, Indiana where she worked with the post reproduction office doing clerical work. While there, the WAAC became the Women's Army Corps (W.A.C.) and Johnson reenlisted. She met and began dating Mondell Stewart, a medic, at Freeman Field and the two married on the base in September 1944. Soon after she became pregnant and was discharged from the W.A.C.s. She returned to her parents' house while Stewart remained in the Army Air Force. She gave birth to a daughter, Marsha, in September 1945 and moved to be with Stewart on Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi until he was discharged.
Following his discharge, the family lived in Utah and Idaho before moving to Milwaukee where Mondell worked for Milwaukee County and Marjorie for various federal agencies. Mondell, who was born December 8, 1921 in Utah, passed away on November 19, 2000.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Marjorie and Mondell Stewart are divided into two series: Papers and Photographs.
Papers (1942-1945) consist largely of the letters exchanged between Marjorie, at home with her parents, and Mondell, serving in various stateside air fields. In her letters to her husband Marjorie described her pregnancy, her loneliness for him, and the conditions at home. After the birth of their daughter, Martha, she described her feelings about motherhood and her struggles adapting to having a baby around the house. She expressed her frustrations that Mondell had not been discharged at the war's end and asked if she and the baby should move out to live with him on a base. Mondell's letters to his wife describe his day-to-day life on several different air fields in the United States in the final months of the war and the first months after its end. He, too, expresses his feelings of loneliness and his impatience to return to her. Also in this series is a large binder containing the training materials Marjorie received and used during her first months in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. It includes printed worksheets and handouts and handwritten notes reflecting the topics covered during the training. Other papers include some post-war materials sent to Mondell recognizing his service in the United States Army Air Forces, introductory materials from the WAACs, and several postcards that Marjorie sent home during her service.
Photographs (1943-1944) consists of a photograph of Marjorie in W.A.C. uniform and another of her and Mondell, both in uniform, on their wedding day. Also included are small picture postcards of WAAC training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Marjorie Stewart, Madison, WI, 2002. Accession Number: Mss 2002.64. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075).
Processed by Russell Horton in 2005.
Contents List
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Series: Papers
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Subseries: Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
1-5
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Marjorie Stewart to Mondell Stewart, May-October 1945
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Mondell Stewart to Marjorie Stewart
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Box
1
Folder
6-8
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May-June 1945
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Box
2
Folder
1-3
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July-October 1945
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Postcards (Marjorie), circa 1943
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Post-war military papers (Mondell), circa 1944
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Women's Army Corps, Introductory materials, 1942-1943
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Training materials, circa 1943
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Series: Photographs
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Ph
17
Folder
30
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Marjorie Johnson Stewart [2] , circa 1944
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Ph
17
Folder
31
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W.A.A.C. training, Ft. Oglethorpe [10] circa 1943
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