Charles B. Varney [RG1541.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG1541.AM:  Charles B. Varney, 1916-2008

Correspondence, etc:  1939-1945

Culbertson, Hitchcock County, Nebraska:  World War II Navy man, Prisoner-of-war

Size:  0.2 cu.ft.; 1 box

BACKGROUND NOTE

Charles B. Varney was born on November 19, 1916 in Bennet, Lancaster County, Nebraska.  He later moved with his family to a farm near Culbertson, Hitchcock County, Nebraska, where he lived until 1933.  He pursued a college education three times, but was unable to continue due to financial difficulties.  After receiving his “Diesel Engineer” title and moving to Los Angeles, Varney joined the Navy.  He was sent to Pearl Harbor and eventually ended up at Wake Island.  On December 8, 1941, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.  In January 1942, Varney was taken to a Prisoner-of-War camp at Woosung, China, northeast of Shanghai.  For the next four years, he spent time in POW camps near Shanghai and in Japan.  Varney was returned to the United States forces in September of 1945 and he returned to home in October of that same year.  Charles B. Varney died in Wisconsin on January 31, 2008.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection of personal records of Charles B. Varney is arranged in two series: 1) Correspondence and 2) Autobiographical Note.

The first series, Correspondence, consists mostly of letters mailed from friends and family to Charles B. Varney while he was a POW.  There are a few letters pre-dating the war, as well as a few mailed from Charles to his parents.  Also, there are letters written to Charles’s father, Ralph, from other people in the United States who had information about Charles.

The second series is a brief autobiographical sketch of Charles B. Varney.  It covers his life from birth (1916) through 1992.

This collection details the lifestyles of those in the United States during World War II.  Most letters consist of personal news of Charles’s friends and family – including marriages, births, career changes, weather and crop updates, and many encouraging words.  The collection also gives some clue as to how news was carried between different countries during World War II, whether it be by mail or through radio broadcast.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Correspondence

Box 1

Folder

1. 1. 1939, March, Charles B. Varney to Ralph Varney

1. 1. 1941, July, Charles B. Varney to Ella L. Varney

1. 1. 1941, November, Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, May, Ralph and Ella L. Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, July
      
      Kikwyo Okabe to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Frank S. Scudder to Charles B. Varney
      
      Janet to Charles B. Varney
      
      Sgt. Elbert G. Arahawa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Bulletin from the Order for the Common Worship of God to Charles B. Varney
      
      Catherine E. B. Cop to Charles B. Varney
      
      Galen Weaver to Charles B. Varney
      
      Members of the Church of the Crossroads to Charles B. Varney
      
      Lillian Ching to Charles B. Varney (includes photo)
      
      Evangeline Mori to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, August
      
      Musawa Tanaka to Charles B. Varney
      
      Blanche Faulkner to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Laura Lai to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Ralph and Ella Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, September
      
      Richard and Flora to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Galen Weaver to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, October
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Eisenhart to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, November
      
      Lucy Steffey to Charles B. Varney
      
      Mrs. Luther McPheeters to Charles B. Varney
      
      Ella and Ralph Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Gilbert Loo to Charles B. Varney
      
      Lucy Steffey to Charles B. Varney
      
      Lyda Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Laura Lai to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1942, December
      
      Evangeline Mori to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, March
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Loraine E. Peek to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, May
      
      Peggy Oregon Cuddebock to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, June
      
      Church of the Crossroads with Mr. David Makaoi to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney
      
      Church of the Crossroads with Galen Weaver to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, July
      
      Kikuyo Okabe to Charles B. Varney
      
      Cora C. Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, November
      
      Evangeline Mori to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1943, December
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1944, May
      
      Laura Lai to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1944, June
      
      Ralph Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1944, August
      
      Ella Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1944, October
      
      Lyda Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1945, January
      
      Dean Adamson to Mr. Ralph Varney
      
      Charles C. and Mrs. L. M. Fike to Charles B. Varney
      
      Charles C. Fike to Charles B. Varney
      
      Thomas A. Smith to Mr. Ralph Varney

1. 1. 1945, July
      
      Ella Varney to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. 1945, October
      
      Crossroads News Bulletin to Charles B. Varney

1. 1. Not Dated
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney
      
      Nami Tokimasa to Charles B. Varney

Series 2 – Autobiographical Sketch

25. 25. Autobiographical sketch of Charles B. Varney (1916-1992)

Subject headings:

Prisoners of War — American

Varney, Charles B., 1916-2008

World War, 1939-1945 — Prisoners and prisons

AIP/SRW/ksa        09-1992

Revised TMM      12-28-2016