Jump to Navigation

Ross E. and Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle Papers, 1915-2004

Microfilm roll MF 6826

 

Introduction

Abstract

Soldier, audio-visual technician, farmer, civic leader; of Douglas County, Kan.

Scrapbooks and World War II letters highlighting the life & activities of Ross Wulfkuhle and his military service kept by his fiancée and wife, Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle. Included are photos, clippings, humor, documents, letters, articles & other publications, drawings, interviews, mementos, and other items relating to Ross’s childhood; military service in California, the Aleutian Islands, Mississippi, and Camp Kanchrapara in India; veterans’ organizations; home life; his job as an audio visual technician & supervisor at the University of Kansas (Lawrence); farming; filming of the television movie “The Day After” ; the Douglas County (Kan.) Bicentennial Commission’s Bell Project; and involvement in many other activities & organizations in Douglas County. The World War II scrapbook and letters discuss training, guard duty, working & living conditions, food, duties, gifts, boredom, weather, and recreation at his duty stations. The letters are to Ralph L. & Nan Colman, Asa & Nellie Colman, and Milton W. & Virginia Sanderson.

Dates

[1941] - 2004

Quantity

1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Creators

Wulfkuhle, Ross (Ross Elroy), 1915-2009

Wulfkuhle, Margaret (Margaret Colman), 1913-2012

Titles

Ross E. & Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle papers : [containing material] 1915 - 2004, [compiled 1941]-2004.
Portion of title: Papers

Identification

Kansas Historical Society microfilm roll MF 6826
Ms. collection no. 5032

Notes

This finding aid describes materials on microfilm held by the Kansas Historical Society. Microfilm may be used in the State Archives and Library during regular research hours. Microfilm may also be borrowed through interlibrary loan for your use at a participating public, academic, or research library. Information on interlibrary loan is available from the Kansas State Historical Society and on its web site, http://www.kshs.org. Support for telephone, mail and on-line research and reference is limited.

In a continuing effort to improve the completeness and accuracy of finding aids, revisions are made as more or new information becomes available. Consequently, this finding aid may differ slightly from what appears on the microfilm or on the Kansas Historical Society’s web site.

Repository

Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka)

Biography

Prepared by Virginia A. Wulfkuhle

Ross Elroy Wulfkuhle, born August 27, 1915, was the second of seven children whose parents were William Ferdinand Wulfkuhle and Mildred Ann Gress Wulfkuhle. The Wulfkuhle ancestors emigrated from Kohlstadt, Germany, in 1860, joining several other German families in the community of Deer Creek, now Stull, Kansas, a small unincorporated village between Lawrence and Topeka. Ross’ s grandfather, William, was a lad of four years at that time. In Germany their occupations were shoemakers and hops pluckers. Most of the succeeding generations continued in agricultural work.

Margaret’s parents were Asa Richardson Colman and Nellie Everett Colman. The Colmans are a Sesquicentennial family, having arrived in Kansas in October 1854 with the New England Emigrant Aid Society. Asa’s mother, Flora Richardson, was the first graduate of the University of Kansas in 1873 and also earned the first master’s degree. Margaret had one sister, Virginia.

Ross met his future wife, Margaret Colman, in the Douglas County 4-H orchestra in 1930. Their fathers were acquainted, but their farms seemed quite far apart until Ross acquired his first car, a 1933 Ford. Ross worked for the State Highway Commission of Kansas (now the Kansas Department of Transportation) for several years, while Margaret attended the University of Kansas and taught two years in at Sigel (a one-room school destroyed during construction of Clinton Reservoir), five years at Eudora, two years at Prairie (now Prairie Village), and two years in Continuing Education at the University of Kansas.

Ross was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1942. After a year of training in California, he received the last furlough granted from his company and returned to Kansas to marry Margaret on March 7, 1943. Following amphibious training at Fort Ord, he was shipped out in August 1943 for a two-year assignment in the Aleutian Islands, including the invasion of Kiska, enduring some of the most inhospitable weather on the face of the earth. One incident he could not write home about was helping to build a ramp into the mess hall to accommodate President Roosevelt’s wheelchair. One representative from each unit was invited to dine with the president, and Ross felt honored to attend.

After returning from the Aleutians, he spent a few weeks at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, but so many men were dying of the heat that they were sent to Camp Kanchrapara, Calcutta, India. Ross served in a headquarters battalion where his main duty as a staff sergeant was assigning troops to fly “ the hump ” into China to strike Japanese targets. As the war wound down, his responsibilities shifted to receiving troops eligible for discharge and assigning them to available ships for the voyage back to the States. He arrived home in January 1946, having served 44 months.

Ross, like some of the other third generation Wulfkuhles, held a second job in town while also engaged in farming. At night, on weekends, and over vacations, he farmed for his father-in-law, Asa Colman, and uncle-in-law, Ralph Colman, while working from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Audio-Visual Department of the University of Kansas. He stayed in the KU position for 33½ years, and in 1977 was named the Most Valuable Classified Employee of the Year.

Ross and Margaret have two daughters, both of whom completed B.A. degrees at the University of Kansas. Linda Rae Wulfkuhle Cecchini served for 30 years as head of serials at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire library, after earning her M.L.S. at the University of Denver. She and her husband, Guido Cecchini, completed a winter home in Vero Beach, Florida, just in time for the infamous hurricanes of 2004. Virginia Ann Wulfkuhle earned her master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, served as assistant to the State archeologist of Texas and as curator of the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas, before returning to Kansas in 1990. She is employed by the Kansas Historical Society as its public archeologist.

Ross died on November 19, 2009.  Margaret continued to live on 40 acres of the old Colman homestead where she and Ross built a new home in 1984, now being crowded by the city of Lawrence.  She died April 24, 2012.

Scope and Content

The Scrapbooks series (no. 1) contains a “Memory Book” highlighting the life and activities of Ross Wulfkuhle and a World War II scrapbook about his service kept by his fiancée and wife, Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle.

The “Memory Book” contains items collected and saved pertaining to Ross Wulfkuhle’s life and family. Materials about Ross’s childhood include photos, a birth announcement (1915), a description of events in 1915, his first valentine, information on teachers, a Sunday school certificate (1926), his grade school diploma (1927), and information about Deer Creek School. Items pertaining to his World War II service include clippings about his service; Selective Service documents; photos of his service in the Aleutian Islands; “dog tags” ; a “Chronology of the Aleutian Campaign” ; Christmas cards; rank insignia; a Certificate of Commendable Service issued by the Aleutian Department of the Army; postcards and photos of Jackson and Camp Shelby, Mississippi; photos, a clipping, and a unit patch from his service in India; and a drawing of the U.S.S. General W.F. Hase - the ship on which he came home - information about his transportation, and a unit patch. Also included in the book are documents relating to his participation in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. In addition, there are photos of Ross and Margaret’s wedding, automobiles, home life, and photos of and an invitation to their 50th wedding anniversary celebration (1993). Included in the book are clippings and photos about the University of Kansas (KU) Bureau of Visual Instruction and Division of Continuing Education; certificates, clippings, and a thank you note pertaining to his interests in the Kansas Association of Educational Communications and Technology and the Douglas County Historical Society’s “Celebrating Leo” program (1998). There are clippings, photos, an interview, and a pencil sketch pertaining to their work farming. In addition, there are photos, clippings, and a thank you letter relating to the use of the Wulfkuhle’s farm as a filming site for the television movie “The Day After” and an invitation to the movie’s world premiere (1998). His work for the Bell Project of the Douglas County Bicentennial Commission (1976) is documented in photos, clippings, and certificates. At the end of the book are items pertaining to other activities in which he participated: a clipping and program about the KU Alumni Association’s Honors Program; photos, a thank you note, and a Baptismal Certificate (1955), all relating to church activities; an announcement and thank you note pertaining to his assistance with Sunflower Cablevision’s “As Time Goes By” series (1994); clippings, photos, certificates, letters, programs, and mementos pertaining to his work or affiliation with the Extension Council, 4-H, Douglas County Fair Board, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lane University Museum, and other organizations; his photo on the cover of Kansas Heritage; and photos, programs, clippings, and other materials on his participation in the dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics at KU (2003); and clippings pertaining to the national World War II Memorial (2004).

The World War II scrapbook includes items kept by Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle during the war. It contains primarily items she saved, he sent her, and family members sent to him. Included are cartoons & illustrations pertaining to military service; jokes; official & other documents; excerpts & complete texts of cards & letters he sent her; newspaper clippings & magazine articles; photographs & postcards; a copy of The Oozlefinch: Camp Callan’s Pictorial Review; insignia; greeting cards sent to him; programs & menus; documents left on Kiska Island by the Japanese; printed accounts of the battle for Attu & military life in the Aleutians; inserted articles describing Adak Island in 1965 & a recollection of the Battle of Attu (1943); a copy of the 21 August 1943 Kansas City Star (Missouri) containing stories about the United States’ recapture of Kiska; “Battle Without Guns,” a poem presented by Armed Forces Radio in tribute to the Aleutian Campaign; copies of the Calcutta Statesman (India) and Lawrence Journal-World (Kansas) with news of Japan’s surrender and capitulation; a tour brochure; and Chinese money (not filmed). Inserted in the last page of the book are letters from Margaret to Ross that were undelivered because he was en route home. The scrapbook includes items from his service at Camp Callan, Inglewood, & Fort Ord, California, April 1942 - July 1943; in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Territory, July 1943 - February 1945; at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, April- May 1945; at Fort Ord and Camp Anza, California, June 1945; in the Pacific Ocean, June - July 1945; and at Camp Kanchrapara, India, August- November 1945. Ross’s letters talk about Army life and basic training; his duty guarding the coast and oil fields; “adopted” “pets” ; false reports of Japanese invaders; training to repel the enemy; leave; Christmas and presents he received; his fishing successes; the arrival of non--dehydrated food; daily life in their Aleutian camp; moving out of tents; recreational pursuits; attending church; collecting bugs and sending the specimens to Milt Sanderson, an entomologist at the University of Illinois; the grueling training he underwent in Mississippi; the end of military censorship; his voyage to India via Australia; and his experiences in India. Letters to him tell of family & friends, their health, daily activities, effects of the war, and preparations for holidays.

The Ross Wulfkuhle Letters, [1941] - 1945 (series 2) are divided into three subseries: 2.1, Letters Received by Ralph L. and Nan Colman, Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle’s uncle and aunt, Douglas County, Kansas, [1941] - 1945; 2.2, Letters Received by Asa and Nellie Colman, Margaret’s parents, Douglas County, Kansas, 1943 October - 1944 March; and 2.3, Letters Received by Milton W. and Virginia Sanderson, Margaret’s brother-in-law and sister, Urbana, Illinois, 1944-1945. Interestingly, although Ross tells of writing Ralph and Nan Colman and the Sandersons at the same time, the letters that have been retained do not overlap in date: Letters from 1941 through October 1944 are to Ralph and Nan Colman, and letters from November 1944 through November 1945 are to the Sandersons. An envelope containing sender or recipient information not on a letter follows the letter if the envelope exists. Many of the letters are undated; these were placed in approximate sequence based on their contents. Undated letters and fragments that could not be identified by contents are at the end of each subseries. Greeting cards not containing personal messages were not microfilmed. A more detailed summary by month is in the Appendix at the end of this register.

As might be expected, the letters supplement the information about Ross’s World War II service reflected in the Scrapbooks. While portions of his letters to Margaret appear in the World War II scrapbook, the letters to other members of her extended family are preserved in their entirety.

The greatest number of letters are to Ralph and Nan Colman, Margaret’s uncle and aunt. They actually begin in December of 1941, before Ross’s military service, when he was a student at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). He talks of his studies, how many are leaving campus for Christmas, work and Christmas trips. After Ross was inducted into the Army in March 1942, his letters describe his induction; trip to California; training; duty guarding the California coast, an aircraft plant, and oilfields; sightseeing; living conditions; food; presents received; further training; his return from Kansas after his marriage; Margaret’s stay with him; moving to Fort Ord, California; and amphibious training in the Pacific Ocean. Some of the letters from the summer of 1943 are from Margaret. By August 1943, Ross is in the Aleutian Islands, trying to adjust; the letters complain of poor mail service, mud, and the lack of hot water and other amenities. He reassures them that he will be safe in his gun emplacement. As time went on, the creature comforts increased, the food and mail service improved, and the main problem was boredom and the weather; he talks about movies and other activities as well as things they do to pass the time. He mentions repeatedly how grateful they are for Christmas and other gifts from home. There are no letters in this group for the time Ross was at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, or his second deployment to Fort Ord and only one from India, telling them of his impending trip home. His letters always mention activities that the Colmans must be doing on their farm as well as friends and relatives in Douglas County.

There are only five letters to Asa and Nellie Colman, Margaret’s parents. In them, Ross describes Christmas presents received, tells them of his homesickness, describes the Thanksgiving dinner they had in the Aleutians, mentioned how mail service was improving but laundry was still a problem, informed them he’d arranged to have a Valentine’s Day gift sent to Margaret, and teased them about their house guests.

His letters to Margaret’s brother-in-law and sister, Milton and Virginia Sanderson, begin after one of his intra-island transfers in the Aleutians. He thanks them for their gifts, describes and sends photos of his living quarters, tells of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and describes his work and the long hours. There are no letters for March 1945, reflecting his furlough and transfer to Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Once there, he describes his trip from Kansas and the difficulties he was having readjusting to military life. He also tells of the heat; the terribly rigorous training they endured, presumably to survive an assault on Japan; his hospitalization for six days; what a terrible post Camp Shelby was; how their training was reduced from eighteen to fourteen hours per day but extended six weeks; and how the training was ended at the insistence of the chaplains due to deaths and morale. In June 1945, he describes his uncomfortable trip to Fort Ord and how rumors insist that they won’t be there long. By August he was in India and describes the situation there. After the official end of the War in September 1945, he tells how much he likes his job arranging for transportation for soldiers going home and begins to look forward to his own discharge. His final letters describe weekend trips to Calcutta and trying to schedule his passage to the States; he mentioned that a change in Army policy on eligibility to return home required some soldiers to leave their ships, and accomplishing that required military police using tear gas. The letters conclude with a farewell poem to India and the address of an Indian employee.

The scrapbooks and letters describe in considerable detail the World War II service of a man who did not see combat but nonetheless was trained and engaged in reconnaissance and patrolling coasts and other installations on the lookout for Japanese aircraft and troops. It was only because the Japanese secretly left Kiska Island in the Aleutians and surrendered, making an American landing on Japan unnecessary, that he was not involved in actual combat. The letters and scrapbooks vividly portray daily life in training, garrison, and forward camps as well as his distinguished life and community service following the War.

Contents List

Organization of the Papers

Collection (no. 5032). Organized into 2 series, reflecting the format of the material.

Contents : Ser. 1. Scrapbooks : [containing material] 1915 - 2004, [compiled 1942?]-2004 - ser. 2. Ross Wulfkuhle letters, [1941 ]-1945.

Series Description

Series 1: SCRAPBOOKS : [CONTAINING MATERIAL] 1915 - 2004, [COMPILED 1942?] - 2004. 0.4 ft. (2 v.)

A “Memory Book” highlighting the life & activities of Ross Wulfkuhle and a World War II scrapbook about his service kept by his fiancée and wife, Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle. The “Memory Book” includes photos, clippings, programs, drawings, interviews, publications, mementos, and other items relating to Ross’s childhood, his World War II service, his participation in the Veterans of Foreign Wars & the American Legion, home life, his work as an audio visual technician & supervisor at the University of Kansas, farming, the filming of the television movie “The Day After” at their farm, his chairing the Douglas County (Kan.) Bicentennial Commission’s Bell Project, and his & his family’s involvement in many other activities & organizations in Douglas County. The World War II scrapbook contains humor, documents, letters, articles & other publications, and souvenirs from his service in California, the Aleutian Islands, Mississippi, and India. Ross’s letters talk about Army life & basic training, guard duty, false enemy reports, training, leaves, holidays, Aleutian camp life & activities, and his voyage to India & experiences there. Letters to him tell of daily activities & the health of family & friends, effects of the war, and holidays.

Arranged so the “ Memory Book ” precedes the World War II scrapbook.

Series 2: ROSS E. WULFKUHLE LETTERS, [1941] - 1945. 0.4 ft.

Letters written during World War II by Ross E. Wulfkuhle to Ralph L. & Nan Colman, Douglas County, Kans., Margaret Colman Wulfkuhle’s uncle & aunt; Asa & Nellie Colman, Douglas County, Kans., Margaret’s parents; and Milton W. & Virginia Sanderson, Urbana, Ill., Margaret’s sister & brother-in-law. He talks of training, guard duty, living quarters & conditions, food, duties & long hours, presents received, boredom, the weather, and recreation in California and the Aleutian Islands; terrible training and conditions at Camp Shelby, Miss.; a return trip to Fort Ord, Cal., and his short stay there; conditions, the situation, and his work in India as well as his impending return to the United States. More detailed monthly summaries are in the Appendix at the end of this collection register.

Organized into 3 subseries by recipients, thereunder arranged chronologically with undated items and fragments at the end.

Subseries 2.1: Letters Received by Ralph L. & Nan Colman, Douglas County, Kans., [1941]-1945. 0.25 ft.

Letters written before and during Ross Wulfkuhle’s military service, when he was a student at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), in California, and in the Aleutian Islands. He talks of training, guard duty, living conditions, food, presents received, boredom, the weather, and recreation His letters always mention the Colman’s farm activities and friends & relatives in Douglas County. Some of the letters from the summer of 1943 were written by Margaret Wulfkuhle while she was with him.

Arranged chronologically with undated items and fragments at the end.

Subseries 2.2: Letters Received by Asa & Nellie Colman, Douglas County, Kans., 1943 Oct. - 1944 Mar. 5 items

Letters from the Aleutian Islands describing Christmas presents received, his homesickness, Thanksgiving dinner, and mail service. In addition he informed them about a Valentine’s Day gift for Margaret and teased them about their house guests.

Arranged chronologically.

Subseries 2.3: Letters Received by Milton W. & Virginia Sanderson, Urbana, Ill., 1944 - 1945. 0.2 ft.

Letters from the Aleutian Islands thanking them for gifts and describing his living quarters, Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners, and his work & long hours. His letters from Camp Shelby, Miss., describe his trip from Kansas, difficulties readjusting to military life, heat, the intensely rigorous training, his hospitalization, how terrible a post Camp Shelby was, how their training was reduced in hours per day but extended by weeks, and how training ended due to deaths and morale. Later letters describe his trip to Fort Ord, Cal., and stay there. Letters after July 1945 are from India and describe conditions, the situation, and his life & work there; tell about Calcutta; and discuss his impending return to the United States.

Arranged chronologically.

Related Records and Collections

Appendix: Monthly Summaries of Letters

Letters to Ralph & Nan Colman

1941 Dec? Studies, many are leaving campus for Christmas, work at school, Christmas trips.

1942 Feb. Letter from Virginia (Margaret’s sister) at U. of Ark. telling about his studies, spring cleaning; letter of recommendation from Ralph Colman. Mar. description of induction at Ft. Leavenworth, trip to California, beginning of basic training. Apr. Basic training, testing, guard duty. May in Coast Art’y at Inglewood. June pass with cousins, sightseeing, guard duty, funeral. July many alerts, classes, visiting relatives on pass, moving to oil fields, dismantling shacks, living in tents with no electricity. Aug. Tired of stew, cookies are great, thanks for birthday presents, no electricity, guard duty, finding people he knows, digging by hand, now electricity. Sept. Guarding North American airplane plant, parties with employees, training with new gun, fog. Oct. “Adopted” “pets,” wiring guard house, start of rainy season, windy, dinner at country club with North American employees, draft getting more men, seeing friends from Lawrence. Nov. Thank you letter from Virginia, comments on corn harvest, new mess hall, will live in bomb shelter not tent, terrible cold, Thanksgiving. Dec. Moving into bomb shelter, many gifts, watch from Margaret, electricity turned off for 3 days, radio not working, meeting friends,

1943 Jan. Big gun practice, new barracks, overnight maneuvers, lots of rain. Feb. Some unidentified planes, went to L.A. on a pass & got new cap & glasses, going to a Bing Crosby radio show, hoping to get a furlough. Mar. Got to sleep coming back from Kansas & upon arrival, trying to arrange dependent benefits, got kidded by comrades for getting married, growing a Victory Garden, having trouble qualifying on weapons, trying to find housing for Margaret. Apr. Was sick. May Margaret coming, moving to Ft. Ord, more training / less free time, Margaret arrived 5/26, had good trip, describes Ord. July Ross training in the Pacific, will ship overseas, Margaret helping Mrs. Geyer & taking care of her son, FBI arrested smuggler, weather. Aug. In Aleutians, trying to adjust, no mail. Sept. Lots of mud, will be safe in his gun emplacement, tired, only cold showers. Oct. Beginning to get fresh veggies & meat. Nov. Bored, appreciates Christmas presents, often too busy to write, fine Thanksgiving dinner. Dec. They sled & ski for recreation, will miss them at Christmas, he is now clean shaven.

1944 Jan. Cold & windy, new location. Feb. Little to do, fishing. Apr. Moved by ship to new location in the Aleutians. May. Movies are recent, food is good, used jackhammer to dig. June Still wearing long underwear, comments on Margaret ending her teaching job and starting another. July Soldiers make up postwar plans, Ross describes entertainment they have. Sept. New service center and goods to buy. Oct. Christmas packages arriving, would welcome change of seasons.

1945 Nov. In India, is coming home on the General Hase, will be there about 12/24. Thanks them for purchasing a priority on a new car.

Letters to Asa & Nellie Colman

1943 Oct. Christmas gifts received, homesick, mail service improving. Nov. More Christmas gifts, he would like to be home. Dec. They had a nice Thanksgiving dinner, he is having trouble doing laundry.

1944 Feb. Sent Margaret a Valentine’s Day gift. Mar. Teasing, asks about house guests.

Letters to Milton & Virginia Sanderson

1944 Nov. Thanks for gifts, voyage by ship completed, Thanksgiving dinner, birthday present received, cleaning new quarters. Dec. Thanks them for getting gifts on his behalf, this place not much different from the others, have moved to several islands already, Army underwear, it’s cold & stormy, mail undependable, photos of quarters, good Christmas dinner.

1945 Jan. Working both nights & days; photos of soldiers, ships, equipment, quarters; gifts; sending entomological samples; because of crowding, he is using primitive showers. Feb. Army fish, anniversary gift for Margaret. Apr. [furlough; transfer to Camp Shelby, Miss.] Hard to re-adjust to army life, good trip South, saw lots of water, had physicals, no problems, haven’t started training yet, very hot, will train then become replacements, lots of maneuvers, in hospital 6 days, bayonet practice in the rain, cold at night, mail service very good, food terrible, old company scattered around the camp. May Hates the camp, mosquitoes & chiggers not bothering him badly, long hours, hours per day reduced from 18 to 14 but training increased by 6 wks., shipping out end of month, thinks he may get a furlough, sending people all over the US, rumored to go to Ft. Ord, training halted by chaplains because of morale, many court martials, some deaths. June Bad trip to Cal., no seats, misses Margaret, Ord looks good compared to Shelby, won’t be there long, leaving soon to an unknown destination. Aug. In India, no mail for 6 wks., lots of bugs, natives constantly begging, everything off limits, sleep on hammocks in frames, very hot, didn’t get seasick on voyage, live in tents, no electricity, jackals howl at night, has moved ½ mi., no idea when he will come home, will depend on transportation. Sept. The War is over, final negotiations took too long, will be lucky to get home by Christmas, likes his job, friends leaving for other companies, now that the war is over and censorship lifted he summarizes his voyage to India via Australia, censorship in India was intermittent, works in a replacement depot reassigning troops and sending veterans with enough points home, very busy, made sergeant, thinks he has enough points to go home. Oct. Very busy, sends India tea, will leave India sometime after 11/1 & be in NYC 26 days later, got to go to Calcutta & see horse races, has been promoted to staff sergeant, will get orders to go home soon. Nov. Has been spending weekends in Calcutta, very busy, lots of bugs, will be there 26 days longer than planned, turned down a ship going to Seattle for 1 going to NY, won’t be home for Christmas but may be in the US, has been relieved of his job, burned old letters, waiting on a ship, new system may make him wait longer, when a ship had trouble and Army instituted new policy on who got to go there was a near mutiny, had to use tear gas to get men off; hot in day, cold at night; farewell poem; address of Indian employee.

© Kansas State Historical Society 2005

Related Papers

Thomas F. Averill miscellaneous collection (Misc.: Averill)
Barth Family Papers (Microfilm MS 1046)
Kenneth Davis miscellaneous collection (Misc.: Davis, K)
Douglas County history collection (Ms. collection no. [MC] 682)
Eula Gentzler collection (MC 131)
Jesse Marvin Hawker collection (MC 377)
Lacy Haynes collection (MC 57)
Kanwaka Literary Club records (Microfilm MS 884 - MS 885)
Military history collection: World War, 1939 - 1945 (MC 617, section 7)
Victor Laverne Miller collection (MC 196)
Joe Nickell collection (MC 98)
Packard Family miscellaneous collection (Misc.: Packard)
Pleasant Hour Club records (Microfilm MF 3910)
Bob Raymond. “A Personal Detour into the War.” (Microfilm MS 927)
Holly Marks Reichart collection (MC 220)
Neil Baird Thompson collection (MC 752)
Thomas Bayne Wilson collection (MC 88)

The microfilm may be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Separated Material

Some of the photographs in this collection were copied by the Kansas State Historical Society for its photograph collection.

Other Finding Aid

Copies of this collection register are available in the Kansas Historical Society’s State Library & Archives; on its web site, http://www.kshs.org; and on each roll of the microfilm.

Index Terms

Persons

Colman, Asa (Asa Richardson). (correspondent)
Colman, Nan (Nan Wear). (correspondent)
Colman, Nellie (Nellie Everett). (correspondent)
Colman, Ralph L. (correspondent)
Sanderson, Milton William. (correspondent)
Sanderson, Virginia (Virginia Colman). (correspondent)
Wulfkuhle, Ross (Ross Elroy), 1915-2009
Wulfkuhle, Margaret (Margaret Colman), 1913-2012

Corporate Names

Douglas County Bicentennial Commission. Bell Project.
United States. Army
United States. Army - History - World War, 1939-1945.
United States. Army - Military life.
University of Kansas.

Family Names

Wulfkuhle family.

Geographic Names

Aleutian Islands (Alaska)
Aleutian Islands (Alaska) - Climate.
California.
California - Climate.
Camp Kanchrapara (India)
Camp Kanchrapara (India) - Climate.
Camp Shelby (Miss.)
Camp Shelby (Miss.)- Climate.
Douglas County (Kan.)
Douglas County (Kan.) - Centennial celebrations, etc.
Fort Ord (Calif.)
India.
Lawrence (Kan.)

Subjects

Agriculture - Kansas - Douglas County.
Boredom - Alaska - Aleutian Islands.
Draftees - Kansas - Douglas County.
Families of military personnel - Kansas.
Guard duty.
Military training camps - California.
Military training camps - Mississippi.
Soldiers’writings, American.
Souvenirs (Keepsakes)
Veterans - Kansas - Lawrence - Societies, etc.
Weather.
World War, 1939 - 1945.
World War, 1939 - 1945 - Personal narratives, American.
World War, 1939 - 1945 - Photography.

Document Types

Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Drawings. (Art and Architecture Thesaurus [AAT])
Interviews - Kansas - Douglas County.
Military records. (AAT)
Pencil drawings - 20th century.
Photographs.
Scrapbooks - Kansas - Douglas County.

Titles

The Day after.

Occupations

Civic leaders - Kansas - Douglas County.
Instructional materials personnel - Kansas - Lawrence.
Soldiers.

Additional Information for Researchers

Restrictions on Use

Notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The user is cautioned that the publication of the contents of this microfilm may be construed as constituting a violation of literary property rights. These rights derive from the principle of common law, affirmed in the copyright law of 1976 as amended, that the writer of an unpublished letter or other manuscript has the sole right to publish the contents thereof unless he or she affirmatively parts with that right; the right descends to his or her legal heirs regardless of the ownership of the physical manuscript itself. It is the responsibility of a user or his or her publisher to secure the permission of the owner of literary property rights in unpublished writing.

At the time this collection was loaned to the Kansas State Historical Society and microfilmed, copyright was retained by the lenders.

Preferred Citation

Notes: [title of individual document, subseries, and / or series], Ross & Margaret Wulfkuhle Papers, 1942 - 2004. Kansas Historical Society microfilm MF 6826.

Bibliography: Wulfkuhle, Ross and Margaret. Ross & Margaret Wulfkuhle Papers, 1942 - 2004. Kansas Historical Society microfilm MF 6826.

Acquisition Information

Loan: Ross & Margaret Wulfkuhle, 2004; accession no. 2005-188.01.

Processing Information

Collection arranged, described, and prepared for microfilming by Robert L. Knecht, 2005. Paid for by the Kansas State Historical Society.

Accruals

Additional loan or donation of family papers is possible but unanticipated at this time.

Location of Originals

Originals retained by the lenders.