PRELIMINARY INVENTORY S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri. If you would like more information, please contact us at [email protected]. Introduction Approximately 16 cubic feet, 472.9 GB The papers of Geoffrey Wade Donnan contain correspondence, family histories, photographs, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings relating to Geoffrey Wade Donnan’s research on the Donnan, Wessel, Schaefer, and Coe families. Throughout his research, Donnan collected and maintained his relative’s papers, including his parent’s, Dwight and Gloria Donnan, correspondence, which constitutes the bulk of the collection. Materials of interest include Dwight’s letters to Gloria during World War II, in which he served as a staff sergeant in the 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division. Dwight recounts to Gloria crossing the Rhine River into Germany, as well as encountering German prisoners of war. The collection also contains a digital component, approximately 473 gigabytes of digitized family photographs, census records, and death certificates. Included in the digital materials are oral history interviews Geoffrey Donnan conducted with Dwight Donnan on the history of the Donnan family. The materials in this collection date from 1854 to 2015. Geoffrey Wade Donnan was born on November 5, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Dwight Andrew Donnan and Gloria Wessel Donnan. Donnan married Nancy Nuottila in September 1968 and began a career in marketing for Proctor and Gamble. The unexpected death of his second child in the early 1970s led him to convert to Christianity and embark on a second career as a minister, founding Caribbean Christian Ministries in 1980, and later Reformation Christian Ministries in 1997 in Fellsmere, Florida. A lifelong enthusiast of genealogy, Donnan researched his Donnan, Wessel, Schaefer, and Coe ancestors, as well as his Scottish and Irish lineage. Geoffrey Wade Donnan died on September 3, 2017. Donor Information The papers were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by Nancy Donnan on June 5, 2018 (Accession No. SA4358). Copyright and Restrictions The Donor has given and assigned to the University all rights of copyright, which the Donor has in the Materials and in such of the Donor’s works as may be found among any collections of Materials received by the University from others. Related Materials Wessel\Schaefer Family Papers (S0522) Wessell/Donnan Records (S0787) THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 6/10/2020 S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS Box List Box 1 Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan; Dick and Margie Adams, Correspondence Marcella’s Letters, 1980-1999 (2 folders) Jim Adams Family, 1980-2003 Emma Donna Pletz Correspondence, 1977-2003 Donnan Family Correspondence Bill Donnan, 1942-1974 Tommy Donnan Estate, 1994-1997 Wendell and Nancy Beans, 1976-2004 Emil and Lillian Wessel Correspondence, 1969 Helen and Bill Schaefer Correspondence, 1987-1989 Correspondence between Wessel Families and Dwight and Gloria Donnan, 1975-1997 Correspondence between Dwight and Gloria Donnan and Wessel Family Laurie and Brian Wessel, no date Tania and Paul Wessel, 1990-2002 Rick Wessel Family, 1987-1999 Dick and Mary Wessel, 1954-2002 Correspondence Between Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan and Bob and Betty Wessel, 1974-2003 (2 Folders) Donnan and Bob and Betty Wessel’s Children Correspondence Scott Wessel, 1996-2003 Tammy Wessel Mavromatis, 1974-2003 Gary Wessel Family, 1978-2003 Wendy Wessel Lester, 1977-1999 Lee Family Correspondence Hazel Lee, 1963-1976 Barbara Lee Mulligan and Megan Mulligan, 1994-2000 Alphabetical Correspondence Files A, 1982-1987 B, 1972-2003 (3 Folders) Box 2 C, 1983-1999 D, 1977-2002 E, 1969-2002 F, 1980-1994 H, 1966-2003 I, 1982-2004 J, 1982-2001 Page 2 of 31 S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS K, 1982-1999 L, 1982-1999 M, 1979-2004 (3 folders) N-O, 1975-1998 P-Q, 1982-1999 R, 1988-2002 S, 1963-2002 (2 folders) T, 1949-1997 V-W, 1969-1999 Groups of People, 1925-1997 No Last Names, 1976-2002 Box 3 Genealogical Research Donnan Family Histories, no date Silver Locks, Donnan Histories Silver Locks Text, Floppy Disk, 2009 David Donnan: Gallowayshire Scotland to Richmond, Virginia, 1818-1932 Silver Locks, Donnan Genealogy, no date Silver Locks, Part 2: Alexander Donnan Sr., Whitehorn to Saratoga County, New York, no date Silver Locks, Family Trees and News Clippings, 1952-2009 Iowa William G Donnan, 1881-1992 Donnan, Iowa, 1978-1979 Other Donnan Lines James Donnan, 1942-2002 Kentucky, 1974 South Carolina, no date New York, 1997 Virginia, 1929 Miscellaneous Donnans, No Direct Relation, 1934-1978 Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan Gloria Donnan Calendars, 1989-2003 Correspondence Regarding Move to Dardenne Prairie, 1986 Donnan Identifications, 1974-2000 Box 04 Donnan Events, 1951 Education (Gloria Donnan), 1940-1999 Family Photographs, circa 1940-2003 (4 Folders) Correspondence, Geoffrey and Nancy Donnan to Dwight and Gloria Donnan, 1964-2003 Dwight (Doc) Donnan’s Death, Newspaper Clippings, Death Certificate and Probate Records, 1988 Page 3 of 31 S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS First Congregational Church, Webster Groves, and Dardenne Presbyterian Church, 1952-2004 Personal Correspondence, 1979-1986 Correspondence Jeanne Donnan Stuart to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1973-2000 Carolyn and Linda Stewart to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1988 John and Jareth Keairns and Family to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1990-2003 (2 Folders) Mike and Helen Kearins to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1983-2002 Kim and Dave Card to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1988-2001 Correspondence Between Geoffrey and Nancy Donnan and Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1975-2003 Correspondence Regarding Gloria (Doe) Donnan’s Loan to Geoffrey Donnan on Purchase of Fellsmere, Florida Property, 1998 Nuottila Family to Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1982-1988 Box 05 Holling and Recker Families Marybelle (Donnan) and Harry Recker to Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1982-1992 Correspondence Between Christine Sweeney Recker and Gloria (Doe) Donnan (Includes CD: Sweeney Family Memories), 1988-2003 Cindy Bodger Recker to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1993-2000 Scott Recker to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1992-2003 Tom Holling to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1989-2003 Laurie Holling Ackles to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1999-2004 Michael Holling to Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1991-2002 Genealogical Research Coe Family Coe Family Before Donnan Connection (Includes CD-ROM), 1911-1985 (2 folders) Ohio, East Coast Donnans, Agnes Coe, 2005 Donnan Photographs William Q. and A.A. Donnan Photographs, circa 1880s-1920s William V and G.C. Donnan Photographs, circa 1918-1950 Photographs of Unknown Individuals, no date William Quigley Donnan Articles Written By and About William Quigley Donnan, 1896-1909 William Quigley Donnan and Anna Varis Donnan, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, and Telegram, no date William Varis Donnan Varis Family, 1943-1944 Correspondence, Boy Scout Certificate, and a Photograph, 1912-1972 Dwight Andrew (Doc) Donnan, Correspondence and Photographs, 1941-1989 Genealogical Research Bauersachs/Bowersox Family Page 4 of 31 S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS Correspondence, Newsletters, CD-ROM, and Directory, 1925-2005 Howell Family, 1979-1998 Donnan Family Photographs, 1932-1987 (2 folders) Box 06 Donnan Family Photograph, 1932-1987 (1 folder) Donnan Family News and History, no date Gloria (Doe) Donnan Scrapbook, pages 1-25, 1954-1958 Genealogical Research Donnan Family Tree Charts, 1992 Scotland and Ireland, 1985-2002 Scotland Donnan’s, 1992 Photographs of Donnan House, South St. Louis, Missouri, 2005 Natchez, Mississippi Donnans, no date Phelps County, Missouri (Includes CD-ROM), 2010 Bellefontaine Cemetery, 1985-2005 Peter Donnan, 1924, no date Andrew Donnan, 1992 Andrew Fuller Donnan and Family, no date, 1991 Margaret Cameron Donnan and Margaret Cameron Family, 1992 Alexander Coe Donnan, Bank Statements and Photographs, circa 1928 Lyman Lee Donnan and Family, 1959-1992 David McAnally Donnan and Hortense Family (Includes CD-ROM, 1861-1992 Emil and Lillian Wessel, Correspondence, Photographs, and Financial Records, 1921-1967 (2 folders) Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan Gloria (Doe) Donnan Hostel Trip (De Soto, Missouri), Scrapbook 1939 Box 07 Gloria (Doe) Donnan Hostel Trip (De Soto, Missouri), Correspondence, 1939 Journal and School Memory Book of Gloria (Doe) Donnan, 1934-1940 Webster Groves High School, Class Reunion, 1975, 1990, 1995 Webster Groves High School, Class Reunion, Correspondence and Surveys, 1995-2000 (4 folders) Emil and Lillian Wessel Lillian Wessel, Writings, circa 1966 Guest Books, no date Financial Records and Marriage Certificate, 1920-1944 Correspondence, 1920-1969 Probate Lists and Letter Testamentary, 1971-1977 Box 08 1969 Sunny Drive, Bill of Sale, Deeds, and Plat, 1970-1971 Wessel Family Photographs, circa 1920s-1960s William Varis Donnan, William Quigley Donnan, and Alexander Donnan Correspondence and Deeds of Trust, 1900-1939 (4 folders) Page 5 of 31 S1222 (SA4358) GEOFFREY WADE DONNAN PAPERS William Varis Donnan Correspondence, 1950-1957 (3 folders) Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan Correspondence Between Dwight and Gloria Donnan, April-May 1945 (2 Folders) Box 09 Correspondence Between Dwight (Doc) and Gloria (Doe) Donnan, June-December 1945 (2 folders) William Varis Donnan Correspondence Sent to and From William Varis Donnan, 1946-1949 Brown Cabinet, File Drawer 1 and 2 Andrew Donnan