Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Klassen family papers, circa 1901-2002
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Klassen family
- Title
- Klassen family papers
- Dates
- circa 1901-2002 (inclusive)19202002
- Quantity
- 1.05 cubic feet, (1 legal document case, 1 slim legal document case, 1 flat box (13x16))
- Collection Number
- Coll 808
- Summary
- World War II correspondence of Albert and Delma Jean Klassen, scrapbook about Klassen family history, and photographs of the Grace Peck House.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Biographies of Albert and Delma Jean Klassen, an introduction to the World War II letters, and a key to the code that the Klassens used are located in Box 1, Folder 1.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Albert H. ("Al") Klassen was born in Chinook, Montana in December 1917, and moved with his family to Dallas, Oregon, at age 6. Following his graduation from Dallas High School, he attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. While at Willamette, he worked at Montgomery Ward, where he met Delma Jean Jones. The two married in May 1941. During World War II, Klassen briefly served in the U.S. Coast Guard before joining the Navy. From 1943 to 1944, he served in the South Pacific as a line officer on the attack transport USS Carina. Later, he served as a supply officer at the Naval Supply Depot in Oakland, California. Following the war, he worked for Rogue River Hardware in Grants Pass, Oregon. Klassen died in January 2002.
Delma Jean ("DJ") Jones was born in April 1918 in Fallon, Nevada, and moved with her family to Gresham, Oregon, at age 6. She attended Willamette University, and after graduating married Albert Klassen. During World War II, she worked for the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps and at the Oakland Army Base in Oakland, California. She and Albert had three children: Suzanne, Bruce, and Alan. She died in Portland, Oregon in August 2016.
Suzanne Klassen, daughter of Albert and Delma Jean Klassen, co-owned the Grace Peck House in Portland, Oregon from 1978 to 1985. The house, which was built in 1891, derives its name from Oregon state legislator Grace Olivier Peck, who lived there from 1937-1977. The house is also known as the Buckler-Henry House and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of papers of the Klassen family. A substantial portion of the collection is letters written by Albert Klassen and his wife, Delma Jean Klassen. The letters were written from October 1943 to July 1944, when Albert Klassen was serving in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Carina. These letters employed a code that the Klassens developed in order to bypass redactions from Navy censors. The collection also includes a scrapbook containing photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and ephemera; and photographs, correspondence, and records relating to the Grace Peck House in Portland, Oregon, which Suzanne Klassen owned from 1978-1985, and the house's designation as a historic landmark.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Klassen family papers, Coll 808, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Correspondence between Albert Klassen and Delma Jean Klassen is arranged in chronological order.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Biographies of Albert and Delma Jean Klassen, plus introduction to World War II letters and key for codewords | |
| 1 | 2 | Calendars | 1943-1944 |
| 1 | 3-16 | Correspondence between Albert Klassen and Delma Jean Klassen | 1943 October - 1944 April |
| 2 | 1-6 | Correspondence between Albert Klassen and Delma Jean Klassen | 1944 May-July |
| 2 | 7 | Correspondence and records relating to designation of Grace Peck house as a historic landmark | 1979-1981 |
| 2 | 8 | Correspondence and records relating to Portland Historical Landmarks Commission, and related newspaper clipping | 1979-1983 |
| 2 | 9 | Photographs of Grace Olivier Peck | circa 1935-1975 |
| 2 | 10 | Photographs of Grace Peck House and related materials | 1901-circa 1983, circa 1978-1983 |
| 2 | 11 | Photographs, guest book page, and costume rental form relating to opening of renovated Grace Peck house | 1983 |
| 3 | Scrapbook of Klassen family history | circa 1920-2002 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Dwellings--Oregon--Portland
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Area
Personal Names
- Klassen, Albert H., 1917-2002
- Klassen, Delma Jean, 1918-2015
- Klassen, Suzanne
- Peck, Grace Olivier, 1898-1978--Homes and haunts
Corporate Names
- Carina (Ship)
Family Names
- Klassen family
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- scrapbooks
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Klassen, Albert H., 1917-2002
- Klassen, Delma Jean, 1918-2015
