Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Earl Madsen papers, 1929-1988
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Madsen, Earl, dd.1974
- Title
- Earl Madsen papers
- Dates
- 1929-1988 (inclusive)19291988
- Quantity
- 2 boxes, (1 linear foot)
- Collection Number
- UUS_COLL MSS 187
- Summary
- This collection contains outgoing and incoming correspondence from Earl Madsen while he served as a LDS missionary, during his wife's stay in the hospital, and while attending basic training at Camp Callan in 1943.
- Repository
-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Victor Earl Madsen was born in 1909 in Brigham City, Utah to Victor E. and Cleo F. Madsen. After completing his education at Box Elder High, Madsen was called to serve as missionary in 1929 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Germany-Austria Mission. After being honorably released from his service as a missionary in 1931, Madsen toured Europe for three months. He then returned home to the United States, and found work in a retail clothing store. In 1939, Madsen married Elizabeth Romney, who fell ill in the fall of that year and spent one year in the Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. Madsen entered the United States Army on June 12, 1943, and received his basic training at Camp Callan, California. After Madsen’s service in the U.S. Army he returned to Brigham City and spent the rest of his life there with his wife. In 1973 Madsen suffered a heart attack and died later that same year.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This two-box collection contains outgoing and incoming correspondence from Earl Madsen while he served as a LDS missionary, during his wife's stay in the hospital, and while attending basic training at Camp Callan in 1943. Madsen's outgoing correspondence during his LDS mission (over 150 letters) describes his activities as a missionary, his thoughts about the LDS church, his impressions of Germany, his understanding of Mormonism in Germany, his feelings about being a missionary, and his struggle with homesickness. Madsen's correspondence to his wife while she stayed in the Holy Cross Hospital discusses his grief concerning her illness, his daily activities and business ventures in Brigham City, and how he misses having her at home. Madsen's correspondence while at basic training discusses his military duties and training, his thoughts on the war, his experience as a Mormon in the military, and his love for his wife. Overall, Madsen's letters yield the thoughts of a prolific and descriptive writer. His letters are detailed and range from two to eight pages in length.
The bulk of Madsen's incoming correspondence consists of letters from family and friends while serving as a LDS missionary. Incoming correspondence from his mother, Cleo Madsen, comprises a substantial part of his incoming correspondence as a missionary (over 150 letters).
The correspondence in this collection has been organized into outgoing and incoming category. Outgoing correspondence is organized chronologically and incoming correspondence is organized alphabetically by the sender's surname. Correspondence from senders who wrote numerous letters have been housed in individual folders.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Earl Madsen Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Preferred Citation
Initial Citation: Earl Madsen Papers USU_COLL MSS 187, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 187, USUSCA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Outgoing correspondence is organized chronologically and incoming correspondence is organized alphabetically by the sender's surname.
Processing Note
Processed in February of 2006
Acquisition Information
The original material to this collection with donated by an unknown source, however, several letters and other material were donated in 2010 by Gail Anderson and integrated into the collection in 2013. Anderson bought the additional papers from an antique shop in Park City, Utah, sometime around 1990.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Outgoing and incoming correspondence, 1929—1943Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 1 | Outgoing
(while serving as a missionary)
|
1929 |
1 | 2 | Outgoing |
1930 January—March |
1 | 3 | Outgoing |
1930 April—June |
1 | 4 | Outgoing |
1930 July—September |
1 | 5 | Outgoing |
1930 October—December |
1 | 6 | Outgoing |
1931 January—March |
1 | 7 | Outgoing |
1931 April—June |
1 | 8 | Outgoing |
1931 July—September |
1 | 9 | Outgoing |
1931 October—December |
1 | 10 | Outgoing |
June 1937—July 1938 |
1 | 11 | Outgoing |
1939 |
1 | 12 | Outgoing |
1940 |
1 | 13 | Outgoing
(while stationed at Camp Callan)
|
1943 |
1 | 14 | Outgoing letters |
undated |
1 | 15 | Incoming, Budge, Oliver H. |
1930—1931 |
1 | 16 | Incoming, Madsen, Harold |
1930—1931 |
1 | 17 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1929 September |
1 | 18 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1929 October—December |
1 | 19 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1930 January—March |
1 | 20 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1930 April—June |
1 | 21 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1930 July—September |
1 | 22 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1930 October—December |
1 | 23 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1931 January—February |
1 | 24 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1931 March—April |
1 | 25 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1931 May—June |
1 | 26 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1931 July—August |
1 | 27 | Incoming, Madsen, Cleo |
1931 September |
Incoming correspondence, 1926—1988Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | Incoming, Pearson, Annie |
1926 |
2 | 2 | Incoming, Pearson, Annie |
1927 January—May |
2 | 3 | Incoming, Pearson, Annie |
1927 September—December |
2 | 4 | Incoming, Pearson, Annie |
1928—1929 |
2 | 5 | Incoming, Connie—Perry Peters |
1929—1931 |
2 | 6 | Incoming, Phyllis (?) |
1928—1946 |
2 | 7 | Incoming, Glaoure, Rex |
1927—1930 |
2 | 8 | Incoming, Willey, Winnifred |
1926—1931 |
2 | 9 | Incoming, Wixom, Edith |
1927—1931 |
2 | 10 | Incoming, single letters, A—J |
1929—1975 |
2 | 11 | Incoming, single letters, K—Z |
1929—1988 |
2 | 12 | Incoming, single letters and cards, no surname, A—Z |
1926—1960 |
2 | 13 | Incoming, unidentified senders |
undated |
2 | 14 | Papers of Earl Madsen |
undated |
2 | 15 | Incoming to Cleo Madsen |
1923—1931 |
2 | 16 | Incoming to Elizabeth Madsen |
1953 |
2 | 17 | Incoming postcard to Harold Madsen |
1932 |
2 | 18 | Miscellaneous: telegram envelope; “A Father’s Responsibility to His Son”, by Charles Barker; Girl-and-Music show advertisement; postcard with “Roma” signed on back. |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Basic training (Military education)--History--20th century.
- Mormon Church--Missions--Germany.
- Mormon missionaries--Germany--Correspondence.
- Mormons--Germany.
Personal Names
- Madsen, Cleo F.--Correspondence.
- Madsen, Earl,dd. 1974--Correspondence.
- Madsen, Elizabeth Romney--Correspondence.
Corporate Names
- United States Army--Military life--History--20th century.
Geographical Names
- Camp Callan (California).