West Virginia and Regional History Center
John Wade Kidwell Family Papers
A&M 3823
Archival Resource Key
Previous Archival Resource Key
Previous Archival Resource Key
Previous Archival Resource Key
Previous Archival Resource Key
Previous Archival Resource Key
/repositories/2/resources/2273
5 Linear Feet
5 ft. (2 record cartons, 15 in. each; 2 document cases, 2.5 in. each; 4 document cases, 5 in. each; 1 flat storage box, 1.5 in.; 1 flat storage box, 3.5 in.)
circa 1920s-2013
circa 1940s-1995
Papers of the John Wade Kidwell family of West Virginia. Includes funeral and estate records of John Wade and Dessie Christina Judy Kidwell (ca. 1980s-1990s). Also includes photographs (ca. 1920s-1980s), correspondence (ca. 1940s-1990s), artifacts (1950s-1980s), motion pictures (1950s-1970s), and blueprints of family home. Also includes records regarding the Kidwell's time in Alexandria, VA and Washington, D.C. (1941); John Wade's work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1943-1946); and daughter Carol Jean Kidwell Mullenex (1939-1993). Addendum of 2013/07/08 includes additional records regarding Carol Jean Kidwell Mullennex. Addendum of 2013/08/02 includes records regarding two of John Wade and Dessie's children, David Lee and Neal (Keith O'Neal) Kidwell, and their families. Addendum of 2014/07/18 includes material regarding the assassination of President Kennedy; Chris Kidwell; and gospel music performances on recorded to VHS tapes. For more information, please see the Scope and Content note.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
Special access restriction applies.
Researchers may access digitized materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], John Wade Kidwell Family Papers, A&M 3823, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Related A&M Collections
3823, 3945
Scope and Contents
Papers of the John Wade Kidwell family of West Virginia. Includes funeral and estate records of John Wade and Dessie Christina Judy Kidwell (ca. 1980s-1990s). Also includes photographs, correspondence, artifacts, 8 mm motion picture film, VHS tapes, and blueprints. Photographs depict family vacations (1965-1988), family portraits (ca. 1920s-1980s), and Christmas (1954-1984). Correspondence includes holiday greeting cards (ca. 1940s-1990s). Artifacts include items which belonged to Dessie (ca. 1970s-1980s) and paintings (early 1950s - 1983). Motion picture film and VHS tapes depict family vacations and other events (1950s-1970s). Blueprints depict the family home built in 1978. Also includes binders of material regarding the Kidwell's time in Alexandria, VA and Washington, D.C. (1941); John Wade's work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1943-1946); and of John Wade and Dessie's daughter, Carol Jean Kidwell Mullennex (1939-1993). Many items also have accompanying descriptive notes written by Chris Kidwell (ca. 2012).
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Parsons (W. Va.)
Family vacations
Greeting cards
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination
Christian vacation schools
Kidwell family
Boxes 1-2. Funeral and estate records of John Wade and Dessie Christina Judy Kidwell (ca. 1980s-1990s). (Records include a VHS tape of Dessie's final message to family (1989)--a DVD copy will be available for patron use). [Restricted until 2019]Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158647ca. 1980s-1990s12Box 3. Family vacation photos, brochures, and trip journals (1965-1988). Also includes typescript descriptions of the family vacations written by Chris Kidwell (ca. 2012)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586481965-20123Box 4. Family portraits (ca. 1920s-1980s) and Christmas photos (1954-1984), as well as Kidwell family holiday cards (ca. 1950s-1990s) and school valentines (ca. 1940s and 1960s-1970s). (Most of the valentines belonged to Chris Kidwell, who attended Parsons Grade School in the 1960s-1970s. The earlier valentines belonged to uncles of the Judy family. A typescript description and photos of people related to Parsons Grade School are included.)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158649ca. 1920s-1990s4Box 5. Kidwell photos, including a photo album documenting trips to Hawaii in 1971 and 1974, as well as a spiral notebook used by Chris Kidwell during his junior and senior years at Parsons High School (ca. 1977-1979). Also included are items belonging to Dessie Judy Kidwell: a Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union pin; a Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry 50th anniversary keychain; an Order of the Eastern Star emblem; and the book Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star: As Amended at the Triennial Assembly of the General Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star Held in Cleveland, Ohio, September 1976 (Washington, D.C.: General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, 1976)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586501971-19795Box 6. 20 reels of Kidwell home movies on 8 mm film, and three 8 mm film reel boxes which serve as exemplars of photographica. (Some of the footage is of the Judy family. The following is a list of the contents of the motion picture reels, according to the information on their original boxes.)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586511950s-1970s6O'Neal and David ChristmasArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586571957-?61Snow in Cannan, Chris and Dana tulip buds, Dick and Dall playing horseshoeArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158658196062Chris and O'Neal Winter SnowArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158659[ca. 1963?]63Chris and O'Neal in Woods at Elk Lick,Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158660undated64Earl's farewell party, and Chris and O'Neal swimming party, (our neighbors)Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158661196165Dess KidwellArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158662undated66No information givenArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/15866367Kanenetha [?] BirthdayArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158664undated68"Sunday Dinner" at Grandma and Granddad (Dick Shanon), Dess and familyArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158665undated69Wade, O'Neal, and Chris at the BeachArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158666August 29, 1965610O'Neal and Chris, age 9 and 6, at swimming pool motel?Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158667August 1965611The Ocean (Storm Alma [Hurricane Alma?])Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586681966612Oregon Inlet fishArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158669August 29, 1965613Boys at BeachArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158670undated614Beach - CanadaArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158671undated615CanadaArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158672undated616WyomingArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158673undated617WyomingArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158674undated618WyomingArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158675undated619HawaiianArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158676undated620Box 7. Two paintings on wood depicting butterflies and flowers, made by Dessie (1983). Also included are photographs and blueprints of the "dream home" that Wade built for Dessie and family, located at 409 Jameson Avenue, Parsons, WV (ca. 1978)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158652ca. 1978, 19837Box 8. Four bindersArchival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158653ca. 1930s-20138Correspondence (1941) and photographs (ca. 1930s, 1941) from the Kidwell family's brief time in Alexandria, VA. They lived there while Mr. Kidwell worked with eagles at the Washington ZooArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158677ca. 1930s, 194181Printed material, ephemera, correspondence, photographs, personnel records, and a newspaper (1938-1946; includes facsimiles) from the time when John Wade Kidwell worked as an Engineering Aide Trainee, a civilian job at Wright and/or Patterson Fields for which he trained at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He eventually moved the family to Dayton, OH, and became Property and Supply Officer during the war. The materials pertain to both his professional life and family lifeArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586781938-194682Papers of Carol Jean Kidwell Mullennex (March 5, 1939 - August 6, 1993), the oldest child of John Wade and Dessie Judy Kidwell. She reportedly suffered from mental illness, possibly paranoid schizophrenia. Her papers include material related to arrangements for her reinterment in Parsons City Cemetery (2011-2012), financial papers (1970s), and personal correspondence (1971-1980). Much of the correspondence is to Carol from her boyfriend Ed Matthews, and documents their troubled relationshipArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158679March 5, 1939-201283Addendum of 2013/07/08 containing records regarding Carol Jean Kidwell Mullennex (also went by Schilansky/Schelesky) and her daughter Dana. Includes a typescript biography of Carol, photographs of Carol and Dana, valentine greeting cards and other correspondence, baby booties, and school records. Also includes two WWII ration booksArchival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158680ca. 1939-201384Box 9. Addendum of 2013/08/02, which includes records regarding the families of David Lee and Lisa Jon Schroeder Kidwell, and Neal and Phyllis Kidwell. David Lee Kidwell was the third child of John Wade and Dessie; Neal (Keith O'Neal) was their fourth child. Includes greeting cards, photographs, clippings, letters, computer printouts, and children's craftsArchival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158654ca. 1947-20099Box 10. Addendum of 2014/07/18, which includes two items regarding the assassination of President Kennedy, a copy of LIFE Magazine from 29 November 1963, and a copy of the Parsons Advocate from 26 November 1963; programs and certificates regarding piano recitals and vacation bible schools attended by Chris Kidwell (1966-1969); and two VHS tapes of gospel music, one of the Shahan family performing in Parsons, West Virginia (1988) and one titled "Hagans Homecoming" featuring the Stephen Pyle family which includes a list of song titles (2001)Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/1586551963-200110Box 11. An oil painting by Carol Jean Kidwell depicting a river scene (early 1950s); and an aerial painting of the family home at 409 Jameson Avenue (ca. 1978), which has both a photo of Wade and Dessie and a descriptive note about the home on the backArchival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource KeyPrevious Archival Resource Key/repositories/2/archival_objects/158656early 1950s-ca. 1978unboxed