James E. Lindsay Jr. Missionary Letters
Abstract
A collection of correspondence from James E. Lindsay, Jr.
Dates
- Creation: 1939 - 2000
Biographical / Historical
James E. Lindsay, Jr. was born in Ogden, Utah on 11 March 1921. He was the youngest of three children and the only son of James E. Lindsay, Sir. and Iretta Elizabeth (Fife). James had two older sisters, Ruth, who was 8 years older than him and Verna, who was 23 months older. His family briefly lived in New Orleans, Louisiana where he started his schooling. By the third grade he was back in Ogden and graduated from Ogden High in 1939. He then attended Weber College (on 25 th and Adams) for one year. James transferred to University of Utah for a degree in Zoology. While at the University of Utah he was pledged to the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, his number was "579." In the summer of 1941, James Jr. went to Los Angeles to work. He ended up staying there for the Fall. On 28 January 1942, he was called on the Houston-Louisiana mission. He received his endowments on 2 February and left for the field on 4 February, arriving in Houston, Texas on the seventh. James spent six months in Houston. The rest of his mission was spent in various places in Louisiana. While on his mission, his sister, Ruth, received a divorce from her husband, Colin Edwards, and returned home, with her three sons, to live with her parents. Verna was married to Sheldon Winkler on 11 October 1942. James returned from his mission in the Spring of 1944. A few weeks after his arrival, on 13 April 1944, he received a call from the Navy Department stating that Verna and her husband, Sheldon (who was in the Navy), had been run over and killed by a drunken soldier in Wickford, Rhode Island, where they had just moved. Because of his sister's death the government granted him a few months before he would be required to sign up in the army. During that summer he met, dated and became engaged to Elsa Romane McKell. Upon finishing his basic training he was granted a 30 day furlough, during which, he married Elsa on 31 October 1944. After his wedding he was reassigned to Camp Swift, Texas, where he remained until he was discharged on 20 December 1944. Having served in the army, James returned to the University of Utah. Shortly after he transferred to Utah State, where they offered classes that would qualify him for dentist school. After receiving his Bachelors degree, he went to University of Southern California in Los Angeles to receive his degree in dentistry. Elsa had remained in Utah because of her pregnancy. Their first child was born on 27 October 1946. He was named Steven but since James Jr.'s mother demanded it be spelled Stephen, they renamed him, James Edward Lindsay III, within 24 hours of his birth. Elsa and James III joined James Jr. in Los Angeles two months after James' was born. Julia Lindsay was born on 15 February 1950, during James' senior year of dentist school. After graduation he decided to set up practice in Los Angeles. He worked for another dentist for a couple of years and then worked for himself. He kept his practice for 25 years, moving a number of times but only within the Los Angeles area. Patrice Lindsay was born on 26 August 1952, Annette Lindsay was born on 15 August 1954, Lisa Lindsay was born on 18 August 1957, and Verna Lindsay was born in 1960. After Verna was born James Jr.'s mother died. Iretta passed away on 13 December 1960 in New Orleans, while visiting her brother, Walter. James Sir. had previously had a stroke and needed care after Iretta's death. He lived with James Jr. and Elsa for awhile and then went back to Utah to live with Ruth. Ruth put him in a nursing home, where he later died on 6 December 1964. James III married Marlene, Julia married Wayne Belleau, Patrice married Tim Barrett, Annette married Spencer Call, Lisa married Bruce Newbold, and Verna married Dan Turner. All the children, except James III, eventually moved back to Utah, as did James Jr. and Elsa, after they had retired. In his last years James Jr. had a number of medical problems. He spent most of his time recording his family's genealogy as well as Elsa's. He also transcribed Elsa's mother, Romania's, missionary diary and the letters she sent home to her family while on her mission in New England in the early 20 th century. James Edward Lindsay, Jr. died on 10 September 2000, at age 79. Elsa survived him.
Extent
3 Boxes
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
BOX 1
Fd 1 Christmas card, to James Jr., from Mrs. Ethel V. Anderson: December 22,
1942
1942
1942
Fd 9 Letter, to James Jr., from Stan Darger (fellow missionary and fraternity
brother): January 24, 1942
1942
(Mrs. J. F. Edison): August 12, 1942
J. F. Edison): December 21, 1942
graduation (1939, high school graduation): no date (1939)
Fd 14 Birthday card/letter, to James Jr., from his sister, Ruth, the birthday date
on the card is set at March 11 th : March 10, 1942
1942
December 23, 1942
wife): December 21, 1942
Walter Fife’s wife): November 16, 1942
Clyde Fife): December 25, 1942
11, 1942
father and sister), from Walter Fife (James Jr.’s uncle): November 17,
1942
Fd 25 Christmas card/letter (no envelope), to James Jr., from Will and Dorothy
Fife (uncle and aunt): December 18, 1942
missionary): December 10, 1942
January 11, 1943
family (Sis. Gilbert): August 10, 1942
Fd 31 Letter, to James Jr., from Sis. Gilbert: November 30, 1942
18, 1942
no date
December 17, 1942
18, 1942
indecipherable): December 15, 1942
1942
Fd 42 Christmas card, to James Jr., from Joe and Lucile: December 22, 1942
December 11, 1942
19, 1942
Fd 50 Letter, to James Jr., from his father: July 17, 1942
1942
Fd 52 Letter, to James Jr., from his mother with newspaper clippings: July 26,
1942
Fd 53 Letter, to James Jr., from his mother: August 1, 1942
are two letters from Ruth (James Jr.’s sister) to the family and one letter,
to “Uncle James and Aunt Iretta,” from Dave and Bernice (James Jr.’s
cousins): August 17, 1942
from James Jr. to his parents: August 18, 1942
clipping: August 28, 1942
August 15 but written after Verna’s [James Jr.’s sister’s] wedding on
September 11), enclosed is a newspaper clipping: September 14, 1942
sister, Verna: September 19, 1942
Fd 67 Letter, to James Jr., from his mother, enclosed is a letter, to the family,
from Verna (James Jr.’s sister) with a note to James Jr., and a letter, to the
family, from Oliver (James Sir.’s brother): October 11, 1942
Verna and Sheldon (James Jr.’s sister and brother-in- law): October 20,
1942
to the family, from his sister Verna (one dated October 17, 1942 with a
note from Sheldon, to the family, one dated October 20, 1942 with a note
from Sheldon, to the family, and another dated October 23, 1942 with a
note, to James Jr., from his mother and a program for the play “The
Pirate”) also there is a letter, to “Brother and Sister” (James Sir. And
Iretta), from Iretta’s brother, Isaac: October 23, 1942
October 26, 1942
November 2, 1942
is a letter, to the family, from Verna (James Jr.’s sister): November 5,
1942
from his sister Verna and newspaper clippings: November 7, 1942
Jr.: November 10, 1942
are newspaper clippings and a Relief Society of Mount Ogden Stake
pamphlet (dated November 1942): November 30, 1942
Fd 10 Letter, to James Jr., from his mother, enclosed is a typing lesson of Ruth’s
(James Jr.’s sister), which is not mentioned in the letter: December 3,
1942
piece of paper was with the letter): December 7, 1942
letter): December 16, 1942
card, to Iretta (James Jr.’s mother), from Mr. and Mrs. Leland T. Fife
(Iretta’s brother): December 22, 1942
from Verna (James Jr.’s sister) with a note added, to James Jr., from his
sister, Ruth: December 26, 1942
Jr., from his mother: December 26, 1942
Jimmie, Mac and Walter (Ruth’s sons, James Jr.’s nephews) and his sister
Verna: December 29, 1942
Dad, from Verna (James Jr.’s sister): January 8, 1943
1942
December 21, 1942
December 21, 1942
Fd 26 Letter, to James Jr., from Sis. Munselle: December 1, 1942
missionary/Temple card: March 14, 1942
1942
Fd 32 Christmas card, to James Jr., from Grace N. Nicol: December 17, 1942
Nope: no date
Anna Recore and Lawrence Duffield Weiler: October 21, 1942
date
1, 1942
1942
Fd 44 Letter, to James Jr., from Ray Varley (#555): July 18, 1942
Fd 45 Postcard, to James Jr. (Edward Lindsay), from Vernie (last name
indecipherable): November 24, 1942
signed “Peach”): June 24, 1942
(signed Iretta) and father: July 11, 1942
(signed Peaches): August 11, 1942
father, enclosed is a letter, to mother, from Ruth (James Jr.’s sister):
September 5, 1942
on their honeymoon: September 14, 1942
W. W., written by Sheldon): September 15, 1942
Sheldon): September 24, 1942
from Sheldon: September 26, 1942
1942
Fd 61 Letter, to mother and father, from Verna (James Jr.’s sister) with a note
from Sheldon: October 2, 1942
Fd 62 Letter, to James Jr., from his sister Verna, enclosed is a second letter, to
James Jr., from his sister Verna dated October 16, 1942: October 27, 1942
November 14, 1942
December 9, 1942
date
1942
Fd 12 Missionary Photograph, James Jr. in 4 th row: February 24, 1942
fraternity): November 8, 1942
dated May 15, 1942): December 29, 1941
December 22, 1942
December 22, 1942
Fd 31 Christmas Cards
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the WSU Stewart Library Special Collections Repository