F. Wayne and Rhea Lou Wilcox letters and journals
Scope and Contents
Collection primarily includes correspondence between F. Wayne and Rhea Lou Wilcox during their courtship and early marriage, as well as correspondence with other people. They discuss topics such as the possibility of their marriage, their future life together, social situations in Copperton, Utah, Wayne's experience in the United States Army in training and combat during World War II, the dangers and circumstances of the war, religion and temple marriage, and family issues. Other correspondence includes letters to and from Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Wilcox, and friends Robert D. Goff, Frederick Booth, and Donna Berry among many others. These letters date throughout the bulk dates of the collection, with larger frequency in 1944, when Wayne went overseas. Topics include family and home life, war news, and religion. Correspondence materials include postcards, vellum paper letters, and V-Mail. Also in the collection are two calendar journals, one written by F. Wayne Wilcox in 1943 that records his time at Hillfield, courtship of Rhea, and entry into the army, and one written in 1945 by Rhea Lou Wilcox describing her life while Wayne is overseas and their wedding the year previously.
Dates
- 1940-1960
Creator
- Wilcox, Rhea Lou, 1925-1989 (correspondent, Person)
- Wilcox, F. Wayne (Freeman Wayne), 1923-2007 (correspondent, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from F. Wayne and Rhea Lou Wilcox letters and journals must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Biographical History
F. Wayne Wilcox (1923-2007) was a mechanic in Utah. He served in the United States Army during the Second World War.
Freeman Wayne Wilcox was born on December 30, 1923, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to parents Henry Freeman Wilcox and Nanie Louella Householder. Some of his childhood was spent in Nevada, and teenage years in Bingham Canyon. He attended Utah State for a short time in 1942, and then worked as a mechanic at Hillfield Air Force Base until he joined the army on August 6, 1943. He completed training at Fort Douglas in Utah, and then Camp Fannin in Texas. Wayne Wilcox and Rhea Lou Olsen were married after Wayne's training at Camp Fannin on January 25, 1944, after which he was sent to California and shipped to Hawaii. While serving as an infantryman and sharpshooter in World War II, Wayne was stationed in Hawaii, New Guinea, the Netherland East Indies, the Philippine Islands, and various Japanese towns. His service ended in January of 1946, and he and Rhea made their home in Midvale, Utah. They raised three children, Marjorie Lou (Graham), Becky Lane, and Larry Wayne. He passed away in Ogden, Utah on July 12, 2007.
Biographical History
Rhea Lou Wilcox (1925-1989) was a Mormon homemaker in Utah.
Rhea Lou Olsen Wilcox was born on May 21, 1925 in Vernal, Utah, to Ray Louis and Lucinda Jane Duke Olsen, and raised in Copperton, Utah, near Bingham Canyon with six sisters. She was married to Freeman Wayne Wilcox on January 26, 1944 in the Salt Lake Temple. Following Wayne's return from combat in World War II, the couple moved to Midvale, and then Brigham City for the last 30 years of her life. Together they raised three children: Marjorie Lou (Graham), Becky Lane, and Larry Wayne. Her hobbies included singing; she was an accomplished vocalist and participated in many choirs including the Home Singers of Brigham City. Rhea Lou Wilcox passed away at age 63 on February 26, 1989.
Extent
2 cartons ((2 linear ft.) )
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The F. Wayne and Rhea Lou Wilcox letters include correspondence between Wayne and Rhea, and other various friends and family members, primarily between 1940 and 1945.
Arrangement
Arranged by date of materials and type of materials. All correspondence is arranged by date, the calendar books are arranged separately.
Other Finding Aids
Inventory available in repository.
Custodial History
Purchased by L. Tom Perry Special Collections in 2010.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased; L. Tom Perry Special Collections; 2010.
Appraisal
Utah and the American West and LDS cultural, social, and religious history, (20th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts collection development policy 5.VII, August 2007).
The collection is significant for its records of life on the home front in Utah during World War II and its description of conditions and military life in the Pacific Theater of the war between 1944-1945.
Processing Information
Processed; Audrey Spainhower, student manuscript processor; 2010.
- Title
- Register of F. Wayne and Rhea Lou Wilcox letters and journals
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- John Murphy, curator, and Audrey Spainhower, student manuscript processor
- Date
- 2010 May 06
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States