Cushman Family Papers, 1918-1985

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Cushman Family
Title
Cushman Family Papers
Dates
1918-1985 (inclusive)
Quantity
9.4 linear feet
Collection Number
Mss 673
Summary
This collection primarily consists of the correspondence, a few diaries, limited financial records, and memorabilia of William and Clarice Cushman of Missoula, Montana, and their son, Roger Cushman. The bulk of the correspondence is letters to Clarice from her husband, William, when he was away from home in the U.S. Navy during WWII, in Liberia for four years, in the Warm Springs mental health facility in Montana, and in the Veterans Hospital in Sheridan, Wyoming. The letters chronicle the family’s daily lives, the centrality of religious beliefs, marital discord, and four decades of Clarice Cushman’s attempts to find medical and education assistance for their son, Roger Cushman, who had severe disabilities.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Clarice Mildred Stromert Cushman was born March 13, 1906 in Stratford, Iowa, to Ida and Bernard Stromert. She graduated from high school in Wilmar, Minnesota, in 1923 and from the State Teachers College in St. Cloud, Minnesota, in 1925. Clarice Stomert married William Cushman on January 12, 1935. For most of their married life Clarice Cushman lived in Missoula, Montana. She was a charter member of the Faith Evangelical Free Church.

William Howard Cushman was born January 24, 1909 in Woodstock, Ohio, to Mary Ellen and Arthur Cushman. He attended the University of Ohio, majoring in forestry, and later attended Montana State University in Missoula, Montana in 1939 and 1940. After he moved to Missoula, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Navy. After the war, he worked in Liberia, Africa, for the LeTourneau Corporation for about four years. He then rejoined his family in Missoula where he did a variety of outdoors work. He was a member of the Faith Evangelical Free Church.

The Cushmans had one child, Roger, born December 10, 1938, in Missoula, Montana. Roger was diagnosed with “quadriplegia with hydrocephalus.” The Cushmans struggled with his care and education. In the mid 1940s Roger stayed at Beverly Farm Home and School for Nervous and Backward Children in Godfrey, Illinois. When that institution’s treatment was unsatisfactory, Mrs. Cushman moved with Roger to Denver, Colorado, for speech and physical therapy. By 1946 they were back in Missoula but Mrs. Cushman searched for the best options for their son for many years afterwards. Roger Cushman died February 17, 1978.

William Cushman died April 30, 1987 and Clarice Cushman died February 2, 1993, both in Missoula, Montana.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection is divided into four series.

Series I: Correspondence (1919-1985) The bulk of the correspondence is letters to Clarice Cushman from her husband, William Cushman, when he was away from home in the U.S. Navy during WWII, in Liberia for four years, in the Warm Springs mental health facility in Montana, and in the Veterans Hospital in Sheridan, Wyoming. The letters chronicle the family’s daily lives, the centrality of religious beliefs, marital discord, and four decades of Clarice Cushman’s attempts to find medical and education assistance for their son, Roger Cushman, who had severe disabilities. The correspondence also includes letters from relatives, friends and institutions, letters received by William Cushman, and letters received by Roger Cushman.

Series II: Diaries and Scrapbooks (1920-1971) includes Clarice Cushman’s diaries, that begin a few years before her marriage to William Cushman in 1935 and end during WWII. Her sometimes daily brief entries reveal her daily activities, social contacts, and later interactions with her husband. The more sporadic entries in William Cushman’s diaries describe his work and include one lengthier examination of his feelings about his marriage and his wife while they are apart. Clarice Cushman’s scrapbook (1920-1925) contains photos and memorabilia of her school years beginning in high school and ending when she is awarded a teaching certificate. The other two scrapbooks of local music and school events may have been done as an exercise with the Cushman’s son, Roger.

Series III: Financial Records (1928-1968) consists of a few scattered bank records and some daily and weekly income and expenditure lists.

Series IV: Miscellaneous (1918-1974) consists of memorabilia from high school, weddings, and births as well as various types of personal identification, a genealogy, church programs, and religious tracts. The few identified photos are of the Cushmans around the late 1930s.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright status unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Cushman Family Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana--Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series:

Series I: Correspondence bulk, 7.4 linear feet, 1919-1985

Subseries 1: Letters to Clarice Cushman, 6.7 linear feet, 1919-1985

Subseries 2: Letters to William Cushman, 0.5 linear feet, 1939-1973

Subseries 3: Letters to Roger Cushman, 0.2 linear feet, 1952-1958

Series II: Diaries and Scrapbooks, 1.0 linear feet, 1920-1971

Series III: Financial Records, 0.4 linear feet, 1928-1968

Series IV: Miscellaneous, 0.6 linear feet, 1918-1974

Custodial History

The Cushman Family Papers were donated to the Historical Museum of Fort Missoula in Missoula, Montana, by Althea Bell. The Museum donated the bulk of the papers to the Archives in 1998, a single letter in 2004, and three diaries in 2007.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Historical Museum of Fort Missoula, 1998, 2004, and 2007.

Processing Note

The Cushman Family correspondence was sorted and organized by recipient, author and chronology.

Related Materials

Some Cushman family photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia are held by the Historic Museum of Fort Missoula in Missoula, Montana.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  Correspondence, 1919-1985Return to Top

7.4 linear feet
Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Letters to Clarice Cushman
6.7 linear feet
 1919-1985
Box/Folder
1/1
Letters from aunt
 1919
1/2
Letters from mother and friends
 1923
1/3
Letters from sister and friends
 1924
1/4
Letters from sister
 1925
1/5
Letters from mother, sister, and friends
 1926
1/6
Miscellaneous correspondence
 1927
1/7
Letters from sister and friends
 1928
1/8
Letters from mother, sister, and friends
 1929
1/9
Miscellaneous correspondence
 ca. 1920s
1/10
Letters from mother and sister
 1930
1/11
Letters from friends
 1930
2/1
Letters from mother, sister, and friends
 1931
2/2
Letters from mother, sister, and friends
 1932
2/3
Letters from sister and friends
 1933
2/4
Letters from sister and William (Bill) Cushman
 Jan-Sept 1934
2/5
Letters from friends and William Cushman
 Oct-Dec1934
3/1
Letters from husband and sister
 1935
3/2
Letters from husband, mother, and sister
 1936
3/3
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 Jan-June 1937
3/4
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 June-Dec 1937
3/5
Letters from relatives and friends
 Jan-Mar 1938
3/6
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 June-Dec 1938
4/1
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 Jan-May 1939
4/2
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 June-Dec 1939
4/3
Miscellaneous correspondence
 circa 1930s
4/4
Letters from relatives and friends
 Jan-May 1940
4/5
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 June-Sept 1940
4/6
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 Oct-Dec 1940
4/7
Miscellaneous correspondence
 1940
5/1
Letters from husband, relatives, friends, and church leaders
 1941
5/2
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 1942
5/3
Letters from relatives, friends, and lawyer
 1943
5/4
Letters from husband
Aug-Sept 1943
5/5
Letters from husband
 Oct-Dec 1943
6/1
Letters from institutions regarding possible placement of Roger Cushman
 1943
6/2
Letters from husband
 Jan-June 1944
6/3
Letters from husband
 July-Aug 1944
6/4
Letters from husband
 Sept-Oct 1944
6/5
Letters from husband
 Nov-Dec 1944
7/1
Letters from relatives and friends
 1944
7/2
Letters from institutions
 1944
7/3
Letters from husband
 Jan-Feb 1945
7/4
Letters from husband
 Feb-Mar 1945
7/5
Letters from husband
 Apr-June 1945
8/1
Letters from husband
 July-Oct 1945
8/2
Letters from relatives and friends
 1945
8/3
Letters from institutions
 1945
8/4
Letters from relatives and friends
 1946
8/5
Letters from relatives and friends
 1947
8/6
Letters from relatives and friends
 1948
9/1
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 1949
9/2
Letters from institutions and others regarding Roger Cushman
 1946-1949
9/3
Letters from husband
 ca. 1940s
9/4
Miscellaneous correspondence
 ca. 1940s
9/5
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 1950
9/6
Letters from husband
 1951
9/7
Letters from relatives and friends
 1951
10/1
Letters from husband
 Jan-Mar 1952
10/2
Letters from husband
 Apr-June 1952
10/3
Letters from relatives and friends
 1952
10/4
Letters from institutions
 1950-1952
10/5
Letters from relatives and friends
 1953
10/6
Letters from relatives and friends
 1954
11/1
Letters from institutions
 1953-1954
11/2
Letters from husband
 1955
11/3
Letters from relatives and friends
 1955
11/4
Letters from husband
 1956
11/5
Letters from relatives and friends
 1956
11/6
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 1957
11/7
Letters from relatives and friends
 1958
11/8
Letters from husband
 1959
12/1
Letters from relatives and friends
 1959
12/2
Letters from husband
 ca. 1950s
12/3
Letters from husband
 1960
12/4
Letters from relatives and friends
 1960
12/5
Letters from husband
 1961
12/6
Letters from relatives and friends
 1961
13/1
Letters from institutions
 1961
13/2
Letters from husband, relatives, and friends
 1962
13/3
Letters from relatives and friends
 1963-1968
13/4
Letters from institutions
 1963-1966
13/5
Letter from relative and religious literature
 ca. 1960s
13/6
Letters from institutions
 ca. 1960s
13/7
Letters from relatives and friends
 1970-1979
13/8
Letters from institutions
 1970-1978
13/9
Letters from relatives and friends
 1980-1985
14/1
Letters from relatives and friends
 undated
14/2
Holiday Greeting Cards
 undated
Subseries 2: Letters to William Cushman
0.5 linear feet
 1939-1973
Box/Folder
14/3
Letters from relatives and friends
 1939
14/4
Letters from relatives and friends
 1940-1943
14/5
Letters from wife
 May 1941-Apr 1944
14/6
Letters from wife
 May 1944-Oct 1945
15/1
Letters from relatives and friends
 1944-1949
15/2
Letters from relatives and friends
 1950-1973
15/3
Letters and drawings regarding inventions
 1954-1955
15/4
Letters and greeting cards from wife
 undated
15/5
Miscellaneous correspondence
 undated
Subseries 3: Letters to Roger Cushman
0.2 linear feet
 1952-1958
Box/Folder
15/6
Letters from father, relatives, and friends
 1952-1958
15/7
Letters and other materials regarding Roger
 undated

Series II:  Diaries and scrapbooks, 1920-1971Return to Top

1.0 linear foot
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
15/8
Clarice Cushman’s diary
 1934-1938
16/1
Clarice Cushman’s diary
 1939-1943
16/2
William Cushman’s diary
 1943-1956
16/3
William Cushman’s diary,
 ca. 1944
16/6
Clarice Cushman scrapbook
 1920-1925
OS 1
Scrapbook of local concerts and school events
 1969-1970
OS 1
Scrapbook of local concerts and school events
 1970-1971

Series III:  Financial Records, 1928-1968Return to Top

0.4 linear feet
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
16/7
Minnesota Building and Loan passbook
 1928-1936
16/8
Bank statement
 1934
16/9
Bank statement
 1957
16/10
Western Montana Clinic
 1940-1943
16/11
Financial records
 1948-1950
17/1
Financial records
 1951-1952
17/2
Financial records
 1953-1954
17/3
Financial records
 1961-1968

Series IV:  Miscellaneous, 1918-1978Return to Top

0.6 linear feet
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
17/4
Clarice Cushman’s graduation announcements and commencement programs
 1923
17/5
Edna Margaret Stomert’s wedding announcement
 1924
17/6
Clarice Cushman’s State Teacher’s College Graduation announcement
 1925
17/7
Clarice Cushman’s Montana State Teaching Certificate
 1932
17/8
Photos of Clarice, William, and Roger
 ca. 1939
17/9
Unidentified photos
 undated
17/10
William Cushman’s MSU Student Handbook with his student transcripts attached
 1937-1940
17/11
Baby cards and gift tags
 1938
17/12
Draft card, passport, driver’s licenses, and other
 1940-1960
17/13
Clarice Cushman’s handwritten list of news stories
 undated
18/1
Miscellaneous notes
 undated
18/2
Cushman genealogy
 1978
18/3
Clarice Cushman’s Willmar High School monthly magazine
 1918
18/4
Clarice Cushman’s Willmar High School senior yearbook
 1923
18/5
Miscellaneous research
 undated
18/6
Church programs
 1944
18/7
Religious tracts, music programs, and travel information
 undated

Finding aid prepared by Katherine M. Weist (2005) and Teresa Hamann (2007)
2007

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