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Letters to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945

By Sarah Osorio and Leah Booth

Collection Overview

Title: Letters to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945

Predominant Dates:1943-1944

ID: 001/01/MSS 2018-025

Creator: Sawyer, Elmarine Feagle (1914-1993)

Extent: 5.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Letters from Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. are arranged in chronological order. Letters by other authors are arranged alphabetically by correspondent, then chronologically.

Date Acquired: 06/18/2018

Languages: English [eng]

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Primarily love letters written by Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer in 1943-1945 during his service in the United States Army in World War II. The letters document Sawyer's persistent love for his girlfriend/fiancée/wife while chronicling his everyday life as a serviceman at Washington, D.C.; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Ord, California; the South Pacific; and the Philippines.

The collection also includes letters to Elmarine from her friends, family, coworkers, in-laws, and past love interests, written between 1942 and 1945. There is one letter and a Father's Day card written by Elmarine to her father in 1942, prior to his death on July 1. There are also three letters written to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. and a booklet providing a history of the 176th Infantry up to July 1943.

Biographical Note

Verous Elmarine Feagle Sawyer was born on June 19, 1914 in Lake City, Florida. During World War II, she worked in payroll for the United States Army in the Chief of Engineers office. She married Herman David Sawyer, Jr. (1919-1991) first during an elopement when she visited him at Fort Benning, Georgia between August 11-15, 1943. She married Sawyer second on March 22, 1944 in South Mills, North Carolina. She married Sawyer a third time on June 7, 1947 in Suffolk, Virginia. Sawyer was a member of the Ladies of Disabled American Veterans. She died on December 7, 1993 in Norfolk, Virginia and was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: This collection is open to all researchers.

Use Restrictions: The status of copyright for these materials is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.). Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Source: American Legion Post 327 by donation

Preferred Citation: Letters to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, MSS 2018-025, Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library, Norfolk, Virginia.

Processing Information: Processed November 17, 2022.


Box and Folder Listing

Box 1Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 January-FebruaryAdd to your cart.
PFC Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 March-AprilAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 MayAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 JuneAdd to your cart.
CPL Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 JulyAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 August 3-10Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 August 16-31Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 SeptemberAdd to your cart.
Box 2Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 OctoberAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 NovemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943 DecemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 JanuaryAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 FebruaryAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944 MarchAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 AprilAdd to your cart.
Box 3Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 MayAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 JuneAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 JulyAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 AugustAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 SeptemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 OctoberAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 NovemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 DecemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 JanuaryAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 FebruaryAdd to your cart.
Box 4Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 MarchAdd to your cart.
SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
Folder 2: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 AprilAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 MayAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 JuneAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 JulyAdd to your cart.
S/SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
Folder 6: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 AugustAdd to your cart.
T/SGT Herman D. Sawyer, Jr.
Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 SeptemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 OctoberAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Jr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 November 7Add to your cart.
Includes photographs.
Folder 10: Correspondence, Eunice Mae Feagle Brown to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Correspondence, Juanita Geraldine Brown to Elmarine Sawyer, 1943 AprilAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Greeting Cards, Emily C. to Elmarine Feagle, circa 1943Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Correspondence, Leo P. Crandon to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 July 27Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Correspondence, Elmarine Feagle to L. J. Feagle, 1942 June 18Add to your cart.
Includes a Father's Day card from Elmarine to her father in addition to a letter detailing Elmarine's life in Washington, D. C.
Folder 15: Correspondence, Joseph E. Gay to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 March - 1943 JuneAdd to your cart.
Folder 16: Correspondence, Loca Ruth Feagle Gay to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Correspondence, Raymond D. Gay to Elmarine Feagle, 1942-1943Add to your cart.
Box 5Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Correspondence, Lauretta Hightower to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943-1944Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Correspondence, Paul Kanstoroom to Verous E. Feagle, 1943 June 16, 1944 June 16Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Correspondence, Lorine Bernice Feagle Pulis to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Correspondence, Estella S. Pulis to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 June 19, DecemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Correspondence, Beverly Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Correspondence, Harvey Lee Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1945 April 19Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Correspondence, Herman D. Sawyer, Sr. to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Correspondence, Melvin A. Sawyer to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Correspondence, Rufus S. Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 JuneAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Correspondence, Ruth Sawyer to Elmarine Feagle, 1944Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Correspondence, William A. Sawyer to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 MayAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Correspondence, Mattie Susan Smith to Elmarine Sawyer, 1944 June 19Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Correspondence, George B. Stanton to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 January-SeptemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 14: Correspondence, Warren A. Zeh to Elmarine Feagle, 1942 December - 1945 AprilAdd to your cart.
Folder 15: Correspondence, Lillian Zelnick to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1943-1944Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Correspondence, Gertie to Elmarine Feagle, 1943Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Birthday Cards, The 'Gals' / 'Payrolls' to Elmarine, 1943-1944Add to your cart.
Folder 18: Christmas Cards to Elmarine Feagle, 1943 DecemberAdd to your cart.
Folder 19: Correspondence, Miscellaneous Individuals to Elmarine Feagle Sawyer, 1942-1945Add to your cart.
Folder 20: Correspondence, George A. Bridgers to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr., 1944 July 31Add to your cart.
Folder 21: Correspondence, Emily C. to Herman D. Sawyer, Jr., 1943Add to your cart.
Folder 22: Booklet, One Hundred Seventy-Sixth Infantry, A Brief History, 1943 JulyAdd to your cart.
Folder 23: Blank Cards, circa 1942-1945Add to your cart.