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Noel Family Papers

Collection 348

Noel Family. Papers, 1879–1967, n.d.

2 feet, 4 inches

This collection consists of letters written between Mr. and Mrs. Louis Henry Noel (L. H. Noel) and their children, family, and friends. The Noel family is from Abbeville, Louisiana. Most of the letters were written in the 1940s during World War II and most of them were written between the members of the Noel family. According to the way the letters were addressed, at least four of the children were participating in the war in some way. Elda, Wilfred, and Stella all served as Corporals and R.C. served as a Private. Elda also served as a Private First Class and a Technical Sergeant. The collection includes newspaper clippings related to Stella meeting her husband. There are also sympathy cards and newspaper clippings related to R.C.’s death in 1944, caused by wounds received in battle. The letters in the collection discuss what the children were dealing with at their stations. The letters often include a plea for more letters. The collection also includes correspondence from other family members and friends as well as miscellaneous materials such as photographs, travel slides, certificates, newspaper clippings, tickets and receipts, and souvenirs.

This collection has been digitized.

This collection was donated by Renée Grantham.

Series:

I. Correspondence  
  A. Letters from Elda Noel 1-01 through 1-05
  B. Letters from R.C. "Bray" Noel 1-06 through 1-11
  C. Letters from Wilfred "Blackie" Noel 1-12 through 1-13
    i. Letters from Helen Noel 1-14
  D. Letters from Stella Noel Leggette 1-15
  E. Letters from Harold "Bruce" Noel 1-16
  F. Letters from Lawrence “Snow” Noel 1-17
  G. Postcards from Louis Henry Noel 1-18 through 1-19
  H. Letters from the Theriot Family 1-20
  I. Letters from S.W. “Bill” Simon 1-21
  J. Correspondence from Organizations 1-22
  K. Correspondence from other friends and family 1-23 through 1-24
  L. Unidentified Correspondence 1-25 through 1-26
II. Cards 1-27 through 1-28
III. Newspaper Clippings 1-29 through 1-31
IV. Slides 2-01 through 2-15
V. Travel Materials 2-16 through 2-23
VI. Certificates 2-24 through 2-25
VII. Photographs 3-01 through 3-09
VIII. Miscellaneous 3-10
IX. Digitized Items 3-11
X. Mounted Photographs 4-01 through 4-04
XI. Artifacts Box 5

Inventory:

Box 1

I.

Correspondence

 

A.

Elda Noel Correspondence

 

[The letters and postcards from Elda were written to: Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom), Sadie Noel Guidry (sister), Mabel Noel (sister), Stella Noel Leggette (sister), Harold Noel (brother), Walter “Peter” Noel (brother), Gertrude Noel (sister), Sadie Noel Guidry (sister), Tillie Griffin (aunt), Mrs. Henry Noel, Alton Noel (brother), Ella Mae Noel (sister), “Hap”, Mr. Louis James Noel, Robert O. Noel, and some unknown.]

1-01

1942-1943

1-02

1944 February-July

1-03

1944 August-October

1-04

1945

1-05

not dated

 

B.

R.C. "Bray" Noel Correspondence

 

[The letters from R.C. were written to: Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom), Tillie Griffin (aunt), Mabel “Kajan” Noel (sister), Stella Noel Leggette (sister), Nick Noel, Ella Mae Noel Theriot (sister), Sadie Noel Guidry (sister), “Aunt Lou & Fly”, “Tee”, and Gertrude Noel (sister); and Nick Noel]

1-06

1942 January-April[includes a letter written to R.C. from “Elaine,” attached to an envelope addressed to Mabel Noel]

1-07

1942 May-December

 

Includes an arm band worn by R.C. when he left Louisiana for his station

1-08

1943 January-March

1-09

1943 April-December

1-10

1944

1-11

not dated

 

C.

Wilfred "Blackie" Noel Correspondence

 

[[The letters from Wilfred were written to: R.C. “Bray” Noel (brother), Gertrude Noel (sister), Mabel Noel (sister), Walter “Pete” Noel (brother), Sadie Noel Guidry (sister), Elda Noel (sister); Ella Mae Noel Theriot (sister); Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom), and some unknown. Also includes an Easter card from “Blackie”.]

1-12

1941-1944

1-13

1945 and not dated

 

i. From Helen Noel (Wilfred's wife)

 

[These two letters were written to Sadie Noel Guidry (sister-in-law), and Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Noel (mother and father-in-law)]

1-14

1945

 

D.

Stella Noel Leggette Correspondence

 

[The letters and postcards from Stella were written to: Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom), Mabel “Kajan” Noel (sister), R.C. “Bray” Noel (brother), Elda Noel, and Sadie Noel Guidry (sister).]

1-15

1943-1944 and not dated

 

E.

Harold "Bruce" Noel Correspondence

 

[The letters and postcard from Harold were written to: Mabel “Kajan” Noel (sister), Elda Noel (sister), and Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom).]

1-16

1943-1946

 

F.

Lawrence "Snow" Noel Correspondence

 

[The letters and postcard from Lawrence were written to: Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Noel (Dad and Mom), and Ella Mae Noel Theriot (sister)]

1-17

1945

 

G.

Louis Henry Noel Correspondence

 

[The postcards from L.H. Noel were written to Ella Mae Noel Theriot (daughter) and family.]

1-18

1963-1969

1-19

1943-1944

 

H.

Letters from the Theriot Family

 

[These letters are written to Elda Noel from Ella Mae Noel Theriot and “Elizabeth Theriot.”]

1-20

1944

 

I.

Letters from S.W. “Bill” Simon

 

[These letters from “Bill” Simon were written to Elda Noel.]

1-21

1944

 

J.

Letters from Organizations

 

[Letters are addressed mainly to Elda Noel Reed and one to L.H. Noel. Letters are from the American Home Economics Association, the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana State University, United States Department of Agriculture, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (to L.H. Noel from President Clyde Rougeou), and the Fédération Internationale pour l'Économie Familiale.]

1-22

1966-1971

 

K.

Other Friends and Family Correspondence

1-23

1913-1945

1-24

1961-1968 and undated

 

L.

Unidentified Correspondence

1-25

1917-1944 and undated

1-26

Letter: unidentified, no date

II.

Cards

1-27

1942-1944 and undated

1-28

Blank Postcards

III.

Newspaper Clippings

1-29

1944 [Includes R.C.’s obituary which gives a more detailed description of family tree.]

1-30

1966-1995 [Includes multiple clippings pertaining to Elda Reed Noel.]

1-31

Undated

Box 2

 

IV.

Slides

2-01

London/Unidentified Travel

2-02

Unidentified

2-03

Thailand World Tour

2-04

Rome

2-05

The Vatican

2-06

Versailles/L’Opéra de Paris

2-07

Grecian Art

2-08

Athens

2-09

July 1974

2-10

Luxor, Egypt, and Lebanon

2-11

Israel, Bethlehem, Syria; Stations of the Cross

2-12

China

2-13

Hawaii

2-14

Japan

2-15

India

2-16

Europe [Austria, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Monaco]

V.

Travel Materials - Elda Noel

2-17

Tickets, Receipts, Boarding Passes [Belonging to Elda Noel Reed.]

2-18

Travel Booklets [city guides and maps]

2-19

Travel Booklets [city guides and maps]

2-20

Business Cards and Advertisements

2-21

Travel Souvenirs [includes bookmark, Irish cocktail recipe, postcards, a patch, currency and a conversion sheet, stamps, a photo album, a letter typed in Cyrillic, a slide list, and a handwritten note - “Last Words by Shogun.”]

2-22

Travel Itineraries and Programs

2-23

Travel Pamphlets [city guides and maps]

2-24

Travel Membership/Identification Cards [Belonging to Elda Noel Reed.]

VI.

Certificates

2-25

Baptismal, Marriage, Death Certificates [Minos and Sadie Guidry; Ronald Charles and Etta Rae.]

2-26

Certificates, Invitations, Memorials [Includes Masters Diploma presented to Elda Noel Reed, laminated obituary for Louis Henry Noel, marriage certificate for Edwin Joseph Jeanmard and Elda Marie Noel Reed, confirmation certificate for Etta Rae Guidry, First Communion certificate for Minos Guidry, memorial tribute for R.C. Noel, and invitations to commencement exercises and a Halloween dance.]

Box 3

VII.

Photographs

3-01

Identified Misc. [These photographs include miscellaneous, undated; identified, some dated; and large, identified, some dated. Includes: picture taken by Bruce Noel, Sarbonne University, “Tee’s” House.]

3-02

Unidentified Misc. [Many undated, some dated. Includes negatives.]

3-03

Individuals [Includes unidentified and undated; identified with some dated.]

3-04

Groups [Includes unidentified and mostly undated; identified with some dated.]

3-05

Travel [Includes pictures from July 1980, photographs from Elda Noel Reed’s travels, and unidentified.]

3-06

Etta Rae Guidry [includes some unidentified photographs.]

3-07

Ronald Guidry [includes miscellaneous, some dated.]

3-08

Russell Langlinais [includes some miscellaneous.]

3-09

Griffin Family [includes groups and individuals.]

VIII.

Miscellaneous

3-10

Miscellaneous Items [Includes notepad, pupil’s reports for Etta Rae Guidry, a drawing, Sadie Noel Guidry’s high school reunion handbook (2001), a biographical sketch of Elda Noel Reed, playbills, sheet music, envelopes, an address, personal data for Dr. Rajammal P. Devadas, pamphlet for National Park Nikko, papers on citizenship for Eugene Noel (1892), a graduation program for Wilfred Noel (also includes R.C. Noel) (1938), receipt from Landry’s Auto Repair for L. H. Noel (1943) , military leave bulletin (1945), a copy of “Gros Rat” written by Zoe Sagrera Lynch and Amanda Sagrera Hanks (1949), and a program tribute for Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc (1951).]

IX.

Digitized Items

3-11

1977 and Not Dated [DVD Includes photos of Elda Noel, a newspaper clipping from her wedding, photos of her master’s degree, and a copy of her marriage certificate.]

Box 4

X.

Mounted Photographs

4-01

Griffin Family

4-02

Edward Noel; Joseph Gibson; Charles Stene; Rodolph Guidry; Otto Decuir and his children; and “Paw Paw,” Aunt Belle, and Velma Richard

4-03

Sadie Noel Guidry, Stella Noel Leggette, Lucien Dungaue

4-04

Unidentified

Box 5

XI.

Artifacts

Includes notepad, ration book, notebook, empty diploma holder from Southwestern Louisiana Institute, and travel-size double deck of playing cards.