Bickford-Leary Family Letters, 1938-1945

Collection number: MC 162
Size: 2 boxes (1.0 cu.ft.)

About Bickford-Leary Family

The Bickford family lived in Laconia, New Hampshire. Karl H. and Helen (Denny) Bickford had four children: Arlene P. (born 1922), Karl H., Jr. (b. Nov. 23, 1923 in Sandwich, NH), Thelma, and Betty (birthdates unknown). Arlene married Sgt. Richard K. Leary of Northfield, NH on Sept. 5, 1942 in Portsmouth, both aged 20. Karl entered the U.S. Army in 1943 and married Alma Fogg (date unknown). After the war he worked for 32 years for New England Telephone-Telegraph, retiring as control foreman in Jan. 1979. He died Oct. 6, 1979 in Strafford, NH, where he and his wife had lived for four years. They had two children, Karl H. III and Karen.

About the Bickford-Leary Family Letters

The Bickford-Leary Family letter collection consists of almost 350 letters written between 1938 and 1945, primarily between Sgt. Richard K. Leary and his wife, Arlene Bickford Leary (117 letters), and to and from Karl Bickford (170 letters). The letters, written between people in their late teens and early twenties, often on a daily basis, are somewhat repetitive and reveal little about wartime conditions.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [Folder number], [Box number], Bickford-Leary Family Letters, 1938-1945, MC 162, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Purchased: Charles Apfelbaum, Watchung, NJ, February 20, 1998 (Accession #: 98.003)

Collection Arrangement

The collection has been arranged in three series, as follows: Series I comprises letters written between Sergeant Richard K. Leary and his wife, Arlene Bickford Leary between 1938 and 1945; Series II lists letters to and from Karl Bickford during the same period, and Series III conatins letters between various others written between 1940-1945.

Collection Contents

Series 1: Letters between Sgt. Richard Leary and Arlene Bickford Leary, 1938-1945

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Sept. 17, 1941-June 19, 1944
Box 1, Folder 2		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, July 2, 1944-July 28, 1944
Box 1, Folder 3		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Aug. 11, 1944-Aug. 24, 1944
Box 1, Folder 4		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Aug. 25, 1944-Aug. 31, 1944
Box 1, Folder 5		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Sept. 1, 1944-Sept. 13, 1944
Box 1, Folder 6		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Sept. 14, 1944-Sept. 22, 1944
Box 1, Folder 7		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Sept. 23, 1944-Sept. 30, 1944,
Box 1, Folder 8		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Oct. 1, 1944-Oct. 31, 1944
Box 1, Folder 9		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Nov. 1, 1944-Nov. 15, 1944
Box 1, Folder 10		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Nov. 16, 1944-Nov. 23, 1944
Box 1, Folder 11		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Nov. 24, 1944-Dec. 31, 1944
Box 1, Folder 12		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Jan. 2, 1945-Jan. 16, 1945
Box 1, Folder 13		Letters, Richard Leary to Arlene Bickford Leary, Sept. 2, 1945-Oct. 5, 1945, two undated
Box 1, Folder 14		Letters, Arlene Bickford Leary to Richard Leary, Nov. 3, 1944-Nov. 11, 1944
Box 1, Folder 15		Letters, Arlene Bickford Leary to Richard Leary, Nov. 13, 1944-Nov. 21, 1944
Box 1, Folder 16		Letters, Arlene Bickford Leary to Richard Leary, Nov. 22, 1944-Nov. 29, 1944
Box 1, Folder 17		Letters, Arlene Bickford Leary to Richard Leary, Dec. 1, 1944-Dec. 8, 1944
Box 1, Folder 18		Letters to Richard Leary from Mrs. Sue Leary (mother), Nov. 25, 1944-Dec. 11, 1944
Box 1, Folder 19		Letters to Richard Leary from Robert Leary (brother), Oct. 14, 1942-May 3, 1943
Box 1, Folder 20		Letters to Richard Leary from various soldiers, 1942-1943 Pvt. John Bell, Nov. 27, 1942 Pvt. Emery St. Cyr, Nov. 29, 1942 Jim Saunders, Feb. 21, 1943 Pvt. Lawrence Sanders, March 29, 1943 Pvt. Norman Dionne, March 21, 1943 Pvt. Russell Berry, April 17, 1943
Box 1, Folder 21		Letters to Richard Leary from various others, June 30, 1943; Nov. 23, 1944 Margaret Bickford, June 30, 1943 Doris McDermott (cousin), and Christmas card, Nov. 23, 1944 Mrs. Clara C. Simpson, Christmas card
Box 1, Folder 22		Letters to Arlene Bickford Leary from Lil Frye, July 22, 1938-July 7, 1944
Box 1, Folder 23		Letters to Arlene Bickford Leary from Gwen Leary, Dec. 30, 1942-May 10, 1943
Box 1, Folder 24		Letters to Arlene Bickford Leary from Sue Leary, Dec. 30, 1942-Dec. 4, 1944
Box 1, Folder 25		Letters to Arlene Bickford Leary from Eleanor Picard, Nov. 9, 1941-Nov. 26, 1944
Box 1, Folder 26		Letters to Arlene Bickford Leary from various others, 1938-1943 Ray F. [Stone?], Dec. 24, 1938 Pete Tessier, May 4, 1939 Bud, Nov. 26, 1939 Grannie, Sept. 27, 1941 El, March 20, 1942 April 26, 1943 Lucien Groleau, July 24, 1943 Roland Duffy, Sept. 23, 1943 Private Emery St. Cyr ("Lou"), undated "Flash" and Lucia Wakeman ("Windy"), undated

Series 2: Private Karl Bickford, 1938-1945

Box 1, Folder 27		Letters, Karl Bickford to Arlene Bickford, Feb. 1, 1943-Oct. 31, 1943 (4 letters)
Box 1, Folder 28		Letters, Karl Bickford to Richard Leary, July 30, 1943-Oct., 1944
Box 1, Folder 29		Letters, Karl Bickford to various others, 1940 Marjorie Scott ("Scotty"), June 6, 1940, Undated Lucia Wakeman ("Windy"), Undated
Box 1, Folder 30		Letters to Karl Bickford from Nanna Bickford (grandmother), Aug. 5, 1940-Aug. 23, 1940
Box 1, Folder 31		Letters to Karl Bickford from Ralph Morrissette, May 10, 1942-Dec. 16, 1942
Box 1, Folder 32		Letters to Karl Bickford from Rita "Q", Oct. 19, 1942-Jan. 5, 1943
Box 1, Folder 33		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, 1939; June 4, 1940-July 30, 1940
Box 1, Folder 34		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, Aug. 2, 1940-Aug. 27, 1940
Box 1, Folder 35		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, Sept. 2, 1940-Sept. 30, 1940
Box 1, Folder 36		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, Oct. 2, 1940-Dec. 13, 1940
Box 1, Folder 37		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, June 17, 1941-June 21, 1942
Box 1, Folder 38		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, July 7 1942-Oct. 6, 1942
Box 1, Folder 39		Letters to Karl Bickford from Marjorie Scott, Nov. 10, 1942-Jan. 14, 1943
Box 2
Box 2, Folder 1		Letters to Karl Bickford from Ray Stone, Jan. 13, 1941-Aug. 11, 1941
Box 2, Folder 2		Letters to Karl Bickford from Ray Stone, Jun. 21, 1942-Jan. 6, 1943
Box 2, Folder 3		Letters to Karl Bickford from Nancy Tupper, Oct. 21, 1941-Nov. 11, 1942
Box 2, Folder 4		Letters to Karl Bickford from Nancy Tupper, Nov. 14, 1942-Nov. 29, 1942
Box 2, Folder 5		Letters to Karl Bickford from Nancy Tupper, Dec. 3, 1942-Jan. 14, 1943
Box 2, Folder 6		Letters to Karl Bickford from Lucia Wakeman ("Windy"), July 11, 1940-Jan. 8, 1943
Box 2, Folder 7		Letters to Karl Bickford from Chet -?, July 11, 1940-Aug. 14, 1940
Box 2, Folder 8		Letters to Karl Bickford from Ole -?, July 2, 1940; July 6, 1940-Dec. 9, 1941
Box 2, Folder 9		Letters to Karl Bickford from Sid -?, Aug. 8, 1940-Aug. 22, 1940
Box 2, Folder 10		Letters to Karl Bickford from various others, 1939-1942 Anna -?, July 1941-May 17, 1942 Bertha Jollimore Plourde, undated and Oct. 2, 1939 "Babe," undated Betty Bickford, Aug. 8, 1940 Gramie and Grampa Bickford, undated Celeste Dickie, undated Connie - ?, undated Dot -?, undated Ginny -?, Aug. 23, 1940, undated Mary Lewis (invitation to graduation), June 1942 Roger -?, undated Millie Scott, Dec. 21, 1942 Mrs. Scott (Marjorie's mother), July 30, 1940 Stella -?, Dec. 4, 1942 Y.P.R.U., Sept. 30, 1940

Series 3: Miscellaneous, 1940-1945

Box 2, Folder 11

Correspondence between others, 1940-1945 To Karl Bickford, Sr. from Margaret Bickford (mother), Aug. 23, 1940; Aug. 19, 1942 To Omer Dostie from Evelyn (daughter),Aug. 19, 1940 To unidentified correspondent from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bolduc, Oct. 14, 1940. To unidentified correspondent from "Kans"?, Dec. 25, 1941 To unidentified correspondent from Lorraine and a Valentine's card, Dec. 18, 1942 To unidentified correspondent from Patrica O'Toole, Dec. 18, 1942 To unidentified correspondent from Inez, Dec. 19, 1942 To unidentified correspondent from Ora, Christmas 1942 To Mrs. Leary (Richard's mother) from H.E. "Soup" Madison, Dec. 10, 1944 South Baptist Church, Laconia, NH newsletter, Dec. 15, 1941 Subscription form sent to Richard Leary from the Laconia Evening Citizen, Dec. 15, 1942 Veteran's Administration Authorization for Allotment of Pay form completed by Richard K. Leary, Jan. 1, 1945 Newsclipping (probably from the Laconia Evening Citizen) about the selection of Mrs. Patrick J. Cushing of Franklin, NH to christen the U.S.S. Tucana. Pictures of her seven sons and one daughter all serving in the Armed Forces accompany the article. Undated War bonds flyer; state health department flyer about health care for servicemen's wives who are pregnant or are young mothers re: hospital care; numbered card from Coe Candid. Undated Photos of Old Orchard Beach, Maine; relocation of business card from Martin J. Hegarty, C.P.A., 113 Locust St., Dover NH. Undated Negative of four airmen, unidentified, undated