RALPH J. KELLER:
An Inventory of His World War II Correspondence at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Keller, Ralph J. (Ralph Joseph), 1918-2011, creator. | |
| Title: | World War II correspondence. | |
| Dates: | 1868-2009 (bulk 1943-1945). | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Primarily letters sent home by a Ramsey County man to his family in the St. Paul area while serving in the United States Signal Corps during World War II from stateside camps and from deployments in New Guinea and the Philippines. The collection also includes biographical material, genealogical data on the Keller family, some photographs, and some post-war correspondence and papers. Much of the material is in 3-ring binders. | |
| Quantity: | 4.0 cubic feet (4 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Ralph Joseph Keller was born April 10, 1918 to Peter J. and Christina (Dahners) Keller in Rose Township, Ramsey County, Minnesota. His father was a farmer in what later became Falcon Heights. Keller served in the Signal Corps during World War II at Camp Crowder, Missouri; Camp Charles Wood, Fort Monmouth, and Camp Edison, New Jersey; and in New Guinea and the Philippines. He was discharged in January 1946 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Keller died March 28, 2011.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Keller, Ralph J. World War II Correspondence. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 16,627
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Catalog ID number: 990075040410104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 141.C.9.9B | 1 | Biographical and genealogical materials: | |||||||||
| Keller family genealogical materials, circa 1868-2009. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Contains genealogical data on the family and descendants of Peter Keller (circa 1806-1886) and his wife Margaretha Leindecker (circa 1812-1888) who settled in Rose Township, Ramsey County, in 1856. Includes original documents, photographs, and photocopies, as well as background historical data on St. Paul and Ramsey County. | |||||||||||
| Ralph Keller biographical data, circa 1919-1967. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Photographs, letters, and memorabilia collected by Keller as documentary of his life. | |||||||||||
| World War II correspondence: | |||||||||||
| Principally letters sent by Ralph Keller to his parents and siblings while a member of the Signal Corps. The letters frequently include sketches and memorabilia sent home by Keller. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous World War II letters received, 1942-1944, 1993. | |||||||||||
| Includes letters received by Ralph or his family as well as a 1942 report by Ralph Keller on art in St. Paul schools that includes some of his drawings. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence: | |||||||||||
| August-November 1942. 4 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 141.C.9.10F | 2 | December 1942-April 1943. 4 volumes. | |||||||||
| June 1943. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| August 1943. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| November-December 1943. 2 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 141.C.10.1B | 3 | January-April 1944. 4 volumes. | |||||||||
| May-June 1944. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| July-October 1944. 4 volumes. | |||||||||||
| December 1944. | |||||||||||
| January-February 1945. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 141.C.10.2F | 4 | March-July 1945. 5 volumes. | |||||||||
| September 1945. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| October 1945. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| November-December 1945. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Post-War correspondence: | |||||||||||
| Letters and cards received, 1946-1948. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1946-2003. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Persons:
- Keller family.
- Organizations:
- United States. Army. Signal Corps.
- Places:
- New Guinea.
- Philippines.
- Rose (Minnesota : Township).
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Military life.
- Document Types:
- Photographs.
- Scrapbooks.
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