Nellie J. Hall Williams (1901-1997) Papers (KC141)
Nellie J. Hall was born at her parent's farm near Wilcox (Nodaway County), Missouri. She was the fourth child and the second daughter of Brice C. and Belle C. Hall. Miss Hall attended grade school at the Ireland Schoolhouse near her farm home and then journeyed the 10 mile distance to the Maryville (Missouri) High School from which she was graduated in 1922. She immediately began teaching school at the one-room Olwell School north of Maryville. During the Summer of 1923, Nellie and her mother traveled West by train to San Pedro, California, to visit Belle's brother, Charles J. Colden. Both Nellie and her mother kept diaries of this excursion with observations of Denver, San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles. In the Fall of 1923, Nellie Hall returned to teaching. Shortly thereafter she met Wilber F. Williams, a teacher and later a high school superintendent. In 1925, after Nellie completed two years of study at Northwest Missouri State Teachers College in Maryville, she and Wilber were married. They had three children Elaine, Paul and Stephen. Nellie Williams taught elementary school throughout most of her career. She returned to complete her college degree in 1956, and retired from teaching in 1970.
These papers contain a variety of family and personal notes and records documenting the Hall and Williams families in the Maryville (Nodaway County), Missouri, area. Of particular interest are the diaries of Nellie Hall and her mother, Belle, kept during their trip to California in 1923. Also included is a diary maintained by Nellie during her final year in high school and her several reminiscences of her life and career as a teacher in rural Missouri. The papers also contain biographical information about Nellie's husband, Wilber F. Williams, and a family history and genealogical notes concerning the Hall, Williams and Colden families. Also included is the memoir of Rev. Lester C. Hall, brother of Nellie Hall Williams, and student papers collected by Nellie J. Williams during her teaching career in elementary schools. She kept the papers with the idea of writing a book on teaching creative writing with an anthology of her pupils' works. She offers them as an aid to teachers and students of education and creativity. 1920-1983
40 folders
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updated:
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
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