Well this is it! The big finale. After enlisting in 1941, Joe has made it all the way to 1946…and is still writing to Agnes. ❤
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland.
The final letter featured in Episode 15 is available below:
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We have really enjoyed getting to share Joe and Agnes’ story with you through this podcast. Are you interested in learning more about the Veteran’s History Project? Visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/. Have questions or comments about this week’s episode or the podcast in general? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Want to see the Olexa Letters in person? Visit GVSU Special Collections & University Archives at Seidman House, Allendale, MI.
Although Joe may not have been directly involved in the liberation of any concentration camps, he certainly knew what was going on and talked with survivors. This episode we’re talking about the Holocaust.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 14 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 4, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 31, 1945
There is a lot more to be said on this topic than we had time for – if you’re interested, we highly recommend checking out the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The BBC History article mentioned in the episode is also worth reading. Have questions or comments about this week’s episode? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
In this episode we investigate exactly what conflicts Joe’s been a part of and how he ended up wounded and in hospital once again.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 13 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Apr. 8, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Apr. 21, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Apr. 27, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Apr. 29, 1945
Joe’s been through quite a lot! Have questions or comments about this week’s episode? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
Previously, Joe was wounded during the invasion of Normandy. Wounded again, we dive into what Joe’s medical experience might have been like.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 12 are available below:
V-Mail from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Feb. 9, 1945
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Feb. 11, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Feb. 14, 1945
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Feb. 22, 1945
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, March 8, 1945
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, March 9, 1945
We learned so much researching for this episode! Tune in next time to learn more about what Joe’s been doing in the military. Have questions or comments about this week’s episode? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
It may still be summertime around here, but in Episode 11 we are all about the holiday season!
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 11 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Dec. 16, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Dec. 28, 1944
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Jan. 18, 1945
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Jan. 24, 1945
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Jan. 30, 1945
What do you think of Christmas traditions from WWII? Have questions or comments about this week’s episode? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
Episode 10 dives into souvenir-taking and how soldiers wished to remember (or forget!) the war.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 10 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Oct. 13, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Oct. 22, 1944
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Oct. 23, 1944
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, Oct. 24, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, Oct. 28, 1944
Does your family have any souvenirs from wartime service? Have questions or comments about this week’s episode? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
In Episode 9 we focus on what’s going on in Paris during the war.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was played by Tracy Cook.
Letters featured in Episode 9 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, July 31, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 7, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 11, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, August 20, 1944
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, August 27, 1944
It was so interesting to learn more about Paris’ role in WWII (and had Leigh, at least, thinking of Casablanca…). Questions? Comments? Send them to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
Joe and Agnes’ story continues in Episode 8, where we delve into injuries sustained and awards given to soldiers during combat.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland and Agnes Van Der Weide was voiced by Tracy Cook. Special thanks to Matt Ruen, Scholarly Communications Outreach Coordinator at GVSU, for co-hosting with us!
Letters featured in this episode are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 12, 1944
This letter from Agnes features her trademark vibrant lipstick!
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, June 27, 1944
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Letter from Agnes Van Der Weide to Joe Olexa, July 4, 1944
V-Mail from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, July 4, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, July 6, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, July 13, 1944
If you are a veteran or a veteran’s family member and are interested in learning more about replacing medals, awards, and decorations, check out this resource list courtesy of the National Archives.
It isn’t the world’s most romantic proposal, perhaps, but Jackie and I are thrilled to pieces that Joe took the plunge! In Episode 7, we jump into what weddings and honeymoons were like during the war.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa was voiced by Kevin McCasland.
Please note: We did jump around a bit in the timeline between Episodes 6 & 7 for purposes of clarity in our research. We wanted to group letters having to do with the movies and the engagement separately. Apologies for any confusion.
Letters featured in Episode 7 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 14, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 16, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, May 7, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, June 14, 1944
Are you as excited as we are that Joe’s proposed? Let us know! Send questions and comments to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
In Episode 6 we’re going to dive into one past time that’s been popular for years – going to the movies! Some truly notable films came out of this period, and many revolved around current events.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Joe Olexa is voiced by Kevin McCasland.
Letters featured in Episode 6 are available below:
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 22, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 23, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 27, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 29, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, April 30, 1944
We were fascinated to learn more about how going to the movies worked during WWII and what films were on Joe’s radar overseas. What 1940s films are your favorites? Send questions and comments to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
After a long hiatus, we’re back! We appreciate everyone’s patience as we worked through some technical and staffing issues, but now we’re ready to get back to it! It’s been a while, so feel free to refresh your memory on Joe and Agnes’ story in Episodes 1-4.
This week we’re picking up with the topic of raising morale. USO shows were just one way troops sought entertainment and escape from the war. Celebrities such as Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, The Andrews Sisters, Abbot and Costello, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Mickey Rooney, Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Laurel and Hardy, Cab Calloway, Dorothy Lamour, Judy Garland, Betty Grable, Donna Reed, Errol Flynn, Debbie Reynolds, and John Wayne.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Florence was voiced by Cara Cadena, Ollie Olexa by Noah Campbell, and Joe Olexa by Kevin McCasland. The audio clip of “You’ll Never Know” performed by Vera Lynn, music by Harry Warren, and lyrics by Mack Gordon.
Letters featured in Episode 5 are available below:
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Letter from Ollie Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent Oct. 10, 1944
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Letter from Florence Fournier to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent Feb. 15, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent April 6, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent April 9, 1944
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Letter from Joe Olexa to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent April 11, 1944
Questions about the USO? Have any favorite USO entertainers? Let us know! Send questions and comments to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. Happy listening!
For Valentine’s Day this year, we’re taking a peek into some of the most romantic correspondence collections in Special Collections and University Archives. We managed to whittle the choices down to two correspondence collections that really exude love. We hope you enjoy these snippets as much as we do!
First is the Edward Manley and Jean Worthington Letters, which includes a total of 60 letters written by Jean “Jeannie” Worthington and 159 written by Edward “Ned” Manley. The letters were sent between February 15, 1945-June 27, 1946 while Ned was serving in the U.S. Army. Jeannie, however, was a teenager, still in school in Cleveland, Ohio, trying to decide what she wanted to do with her life. A U.S. Army Private, Ned was assigned to an anti-tank company in the 27th Infantry Regiment in Japan.
The love between these two is heartwarming. Though it’s harder to imagine in today’s world of instant connections, letters were one of the only ways separated couples could communicate during the war. The only way to actually “see” your significant other was via photograph or in your dreams. Ned’s and Jeannie’s letters try to show the other person how much they cared through added emphases, terms of endearment, and the occasional inside joke. They both mention how they will be together “always”, sometimes underlining the world, call each other “sweetheart”, and frequently mention 28–the number of children they joke they will have once they are married. They both mention seeing each other in “Dreamland” at the end of some of their letters, alluding to the place they can at least pretend they are with each other. One example is the end of a letter Ned wrote to Jeannie on February 23rd, 1945:
Letter from Ned to Jeannie from February 23, 1945
The love these two share is evident, whether they’re talking about their daily routines or how much they miss each other. Many of these letters mention “Someday”, typically in quotation marks, likely referring to their hopes of being reunited after the war. Jeannie mentions “Someday” twice in the conclusion of a letter she sent to Ned on March 2nd, 1945:
Jeannie’s letter from March 2, 1945
The second collection we chose to highlight is the Doris Keirn and Burley Yehnert Letters, containing a total of 34 letters, 21 from Doris (nicknamed “Dorrie”) between November 13th, 1944 – February 4th, 1946 and 13 by Burley “Burl” between December 13th, 1946 and July 29th, 1947. Dorrie’s letters typically discuss school events, since she was attending the Altoona School of Commerce in Pennsylvania, early musical talent, and her heartache over her separation from her fiancée, Burl. During this time, Burl was a Private at various Army Air Force postings before receiving a promotion to Sergeant, stationed in Tampa, Florida in late 1945. While his letters were written after he was discharged from the Army, he struggled to find postwar work, preventing him from moving to Phoenix, Arizona to be with Dorrie.
Through these letters, it is easy to feel the deep love these two had for each other, which make their separation all the most heart-wrenching. For example, on November 25, 1944, Dorrie is listening to a song from one of her records and has to write out all of the lyrics to Burl because she thought it “suits us perfect”. The song is titled ‘Just Plain Lonesome’ by Burke-Van Heusen for the 1942 Kyser film “My Favorite Spy”. To write out every lyric shows just how much she was relating to this song, missing her fiancée and the moments they shared together. Listening to the music while you read the lyrics she wrote out evokes the loneliness she felt and her yearning to be with Burl.
Song lyrics in letter from Dorrie on November 25, 1944
The letters Dorrie sends to Burl are filled with romantic reminders. Some of the envelopes from Dorrie include special notes written on the flap, such as this example from January 21st, 1945 that reads “Close to you I will always stay/Close to you though you’re far away”:
Envelope flap from Dorrie’s January 21, 1945 letter
Two letters even contain lipstick kisses:
Five lipstick kisses sent to BurlStack of lipstick kisses Dorrie sent to Burl
A few of her letters include her picture glued on, creating a more personal stationery (and one that Burl would enjoy):
Letter from Dorrie on March 18, 1945 including her picture glued to the stationery
These letters are full of references to her love for Burl. She refers to him as her ‘husband’ even though they had not wed yet, and writes continually about how much she misses him and cannot wait until their time together truly begins.
Burl’s letters are also full of his love for Dorrie. Where Dorrie calls him ‘husband’ he refers to her as ‘wife’ – and even points out how often people believe they are already married! He also is sure to tell her how lucky he is to have a person like her love him in return.
Closing of a letter from Burl
One letter even contains an “I Love You My Darling Dorrie” doodle:
“I love you my Darling Dorrie” doodle from Burl
Both Dorrie and Burl begin and end each letter by explaining how much they love the other person. These two truly fit the definition of true love.
We hope you enjoyed this peak into these two love related correspondence collections in our Special Collections. If you’d like to see more romantic letters in our Special Collections, be sure to check out the Olexa letters. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
Episode 4 is here! In this episode, we take a step away from Joe and Agnes’ story to meet one of Agnes’ friends, Alice Gelisle. This is the only letter we have from Alice, but we felt it was so packed with good information we didn’t want to miss it! In her letter, Alice discusses all the facets of her life–working in a factory, playing basketball, rationing, fashion, and going to dances. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Digital Studio. Alice Gelisle was voiced by student Katie Newville. Special thanks to Marcia Lee for joining us!
Alice’s letter is available below:
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Letter to Agnes Van Der Weide from Alice Gelisle, sent Jan. 22, 1944
Did you enjoy hearing Alice’s perspective? Let us know! Send questions and comments to rupinskl@gvsu.edu or leave us a review on iTunes! We can’t wait to hear from you!
We’re so pleased to announce the launch of a new venture here at Special Collections and University Archives – a podcast! We’re trying something a little different, and we hope you will listen!
To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries, the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU, and a few talented GVSU students. On this podcast, we bring correspondence from GVSU’s Special Collections alive. In each episode you will hear (in their own words!) letters written by the people who lived through history and the stories behind them.
Join us as we dive into the story of a young soldier’s relationships and experiences during World War II…
Letters featured in Episode 1 are available below:
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Letter to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent by Joe Olexa on July 25, 1941.
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Letter to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent by Joe Olexa on August 23, 1941.
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Letter to Agnes Van Der Weide, sent by Joe Olexa on September 1, 1941
Bonus! Joe’s note to the Postmaster, Dec. 5, 1943
Have you ever been to Whalom Park? Heard “Amen” as a name? Let us know! Send questions, comments, and feedback to rupinskl@gvsu.edu. We can’t wait to hear from you!
GVSU Special Collections & University Archives 