Joan Brisbin Wills family collection

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0267

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The family papers of Joan Brisbin Wills (Mrs. Robert Wills), a Toledo, Ohio resident, chronicles the years from 1910 to 1970, with some family genealogical information back to 1545. Primarily, the collection profiles the lives and careers of Mrs. Wills' aunts, Neva King Lambert and Hazel King Schneider, and her mother, Ruth King Brisbin, as student nurses at the Toledo Hospital School of nursing and later as registered nurses from the 1920's through the 1930's. Ruth King Brisbin's career later took her to the Wood County Hospital, spanning the years from 1930 to 1970.

Dates

Creation: 1855-1980, undated

Extent

3.22 Cubic Feet (7 legal document boxes)

2 Volumes

3 Items

Creator

Wills, Joan Brisbin (Compiler, Person)

Scope and Contents

The heart of the Joan Brisbin Wills Family Papers lies in the large number of photographic prints, comprising nearly half of the material. Many of the photographs document the lives of the King sisters, primarily during the 1920's and 1930's, including pictures of family members, friends, the Toledo Hospital School of Nursing, and the family farm. While this series is limited in identification and time-frame, it does provide a basis for understanding the total collection.

Another large component of the papers is the collection of literary productions. The research notes, primarily genealogical in nature, includes information on the King, Brisbin, Wills, Hockaday, Sprague, and related families, with some data referring back to 1545.

Biographical / Historical

Joan Brisbin Wills (Mrs. Robert Wills) was born Joan Marie Brisbin, on July 16, 1931. The only daughter of Frederick and Ruth King Brisbin, Mrs. Wills has a lengthy maternal family history extending back to her eighteenth century ancestor, the Reverend John King. He had emigrated to Virginia in 1787, and to Perry County, Ohio around 1802. A descendant, Peter King, living in McClure, Ohio had three daughters, Neva, Hazel, and Ruth, around whom the collection centers.

Neva King, the oldest daughter of Peter and Georgia VanPelt King, was born around 1902. She attended McClure High School and graduated with the class of 1920. After graduation, she entered the Toledo Hospital School of Nursing (THSN) in Toledo, Ohio, graduating in 1923. She received her Ohio Nurses Registration in April 1924. She was married twice, first to Lee Crawford from around 1920 to 1937, and then to James Lambert. She died September 26, 1972.

Hazel King, the second daughter of the family, was born November 14, 1903. She also attended McClure High School and graduated with the class of 1923. Following in her sister's footsteps, she entered the THSN and graduated in 1926. Her Nurses Registration was issued in June 1927. In early 1935 she married Dewey Schneider. She died Sept. 5, 1963.

Ruth King, the third of the sisters, was born around 1909. Unlike her sisters, she attended Bowling Green High School, graduating with the class of 1927. As with Neva and Hazel, she entered the THSN. After graduation in 1930, she married Frederick Brisbin (b. Oct 23, 1905- d. Sept 26, 1972). On July 16, 1931, their daughter Joan Marie was born. Ruth worked at the Toledo Hospital until August 11, 1951, at which time she started work at the Wood County Hospital in Bowling Green, Ohio. She died August 22, 1982.

Joan Brisbin attended school in Bowling Green, graduating high school in 1949. On Oct. 22, 1949 she married Robert Francis Wills. While little information is available on Joan and Bob Wills, the collection does contain some genealogical information on the Wills family.

One family member mentioned occasionally in the records is Madaline Allen Wills. She was born around 1910 and graduated from Swanton High School in 1928. In June 1930 she married Andrew Deck, but in materials dated to the 1960's, she is mentioned as Mrs. A.E. Wills.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following series:

Proceedings, 1966, 1973
Correspondence, 1891-1897, 1922-1973
Literary productions, 1888-1959
Legal documents, 1888-1953
Financial documents, 1855, 1914, 1939-1944
Scrapbooks and scrapbook materials, 1912-1953, circa 1960-1967?
Maps, charts, diagrams, graphs, lists, etc., July 16, 1931-(December 1932?)
Printed material, circa 1880-1980, undated
Photographic material, circa 1880-1960s

Separated Materials

The following materials were removed from the collection and transferred to the CAC's general reference collection:

Ross Township School personnel listing (1960-1961)
Elmwood High School commencement brochure (1972)
Bowling Green city directory (1975)
First Presbyterian Church directory (1975-1976)
Bowling Green State University brochure
Bowling Green Junior High School booklet
D.A.R. items
Pennsylvania Central Railroad agreements
Bowling Green High School "Scarlet Parrot"
Willys-Overland Motors union agreements

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records were donated and transferred tot he Center for Archival Collections in January and February 1984 through the cooperation of Joan Brisbin Wills and Ann Bowers, Assistant Director/University Archivist at the Center for Archival Collections.

Processing Information

The collection was processed and finding aid prepared by Mary A. Bosh in April 1985, and revised by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in January 1992.