The collection spans from 1888 to 2001 and includes correspondence, two scrapbooks, and a small amount of subject files relating to Milton and Virginia Frenzel and their families. The correspondence dates from 1913 to 1976 and is arranged chronologically. The subject files are arranged alphabetically. Correspondence from 1938 to 1953 comprises the bulk of the collection. There are no letters for the years 1955 or 1960 through 1962.

The Frenzels had several nicknames that are used in the letters. Milton was known most often as “Bud,” but also as “Bussey.” Virginia was known by close friends as “Price” and her first name was also shortened to “Gin,” “Ginny,” and “Va.” She and Milton corresponded almost daily when they were away from one another, such as when Milton was working on site with Emil Frei Associates (March 1944 e.g.) or when Virginia traveled to visit family and friends. In their letters, they often referred to one another as “Joe.”

The earliest letter in the collection is a congratulatory letter from John M. Price to his son, Andrew, upon Virginia’s birth in July 1913. Subsequent letters dating to 1938 relate to Virginia (Price) Frenzel and her family, the Prices and the Nagels. Virginia wrote to her aunts, Minnie and Carrie Nagel, and to her parents when she was away from home. She also wrote to Milton on two occasions before their marriage in November 1937.

Andrew Price, Virginia’s father, wrote to his daughter on her birthdays when she was young and also after she moved to Ironton in 1942. He and Edna moved to a farm in High Hill, Missouri, in 1946. His letters are often humorous, sometimes written in a third person story format. He also wrote a few letters in rhyme (September 22, 1938; January 5, 1947; and January 17, 1947).

Milton and Virginia toured Europe from June through October 1938 (itinerary B5/f.3). Virginia’s friend, Evelyn Koenig of St. Louis, joined them for the first part of the trip. There are many letters written to the Frenzels by friends and family, particularly from Virginia’s parents, keeping them apprised of news at home. Germany’s demand for the return of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, caused distress in Europe and in America and resulted in the signing of the Munich Accord on September 30, 1938. In her letters, Edna Price wrote to Virginia about the “war scare” and about listening to Adolf Hitler’s speeches on the radio.

Milton Frenzel wrote 25 letters to his parents during their European trip. Each letter is numbered 1 to 25; a list appears at the end of the finding aid. These are the only accounts of the Frenzels’ trip in the collection. Milton shares his impressions of the places, people, and the museums visited. Upon seeing land at Greenok, Scotland (June 27, 1938), Milton wrote that in the bay there were “huge battleships all around.” He also wrote of German soldiers in Meinz singing while marching and of meeting a young girl in Rothenberg, Germany, who greeted them with “Heil Hitler.” Milton observed that the Nazi salute replaced more traditional greetings such as guten tag (July 25, 1938).

In late August, the party of three arrived in Rome. In early September, Evelyn left Naples for the U.S. while the Frenzels remained in Rome. They stayed at a boarding house near the Vatican so Milton could study art. Evelyn wrote to the couple from her ship about her experiences and fellow travelers. By September 26th, with Hitler’s military threat looming, Milton and Virginia visited the American Consul in Rome to consider their options. By September 30th, they had arrived in Paris, taking a very crowded overnight train at the urging of Virginia’s parents. Milton wrote of the mood of the people in Rome under threat of war and the relief in Paris after the Munich Accord was announced. The Frenzels remained in Paris until October 12th, when they sailed for the U.S.

In early 1939, after the Frenzels returned to St. Louis in November 1938, Virginia began receiving letters from Ruth MacManus who lived in Rome. It is not clear how Ruth and Virginia met, but they remained in contact for many years, discussing philosophical and psychological topics. Ruth wrote seven letters from Rome dating from November 11, 1938, to May 24, 1940. Presumably, there are no letters after the war began in Europe due to Italy’s position in the war. In her final letter from Rome, Ruth wrote, “all Europe is so in convulsions that I don’t think anyone on the whole continent can feel normal, even if he isn’t actually in the places where things are most violent.” On May 28, 1944, Ruth wrote from New York City that she wanted to explain in person what had happened since she last wrote from Rome.

Virginia corresponded with Rose Halbrook, whose husband Bob trained at Fort Leonard Wood in December 1943, and worked at Emil Frei Associates. Bob wrote to the Frenzels about his training experiences as an engineer squad leader (February 23, 1944). Rose told of attending Hadley Vocational School so she could get a job and how her children’s lives changed with their father away in the army. Bob was sent to Belgium in late March 1945 and Rose suffered a nervous breakdown in May. She was hospitalized at Bliss Hospital in St. Louis for a time and wrote to Virginia about her experiences (May 22 and 24, 1945). Virginia and Rose continued to correspond after the Halbrooks moved from St. Louis.

The Frenzels’ friend, Evelyn Koenig, often wrote to Ironton about family and friends in St. Louis. During the 1940s, she occasionally mentioned the Red Cross and the War Chest. She wrote about meeting a young family in dire financial straits whose father was in the army (November 19, 1942) and about a Red Cross Nurse’s Aide Rally that she planned to attend (October 14, 1943). For unknown reasons, she wrote a few letters on wallpaper (B4/f.10).

Milton also received letters from friends and co-workers who were in the military. Mike Schuetz wrote on June 16, 1944, from Hawaii sharing news of mutual friends. Paul Jonas wrote on October 29, 1945, telling Milton that he was out of the service and updating him on the whereabouts of Mike Schuetz, Art J. Stubenrouch, and Leo Stubenrouch, all of whom presumably worked at Emil Frei Associates.

Edward A. Stephans wrote to Milton sporadically from March 28, 1938, to circa March 23, 1948. Apparently, he and Milton were close friends as Edward wrote freely of his relationship with Ernest (last name not revealed). Edward mentioned in his March 23, 1941, letter that he moved to Chicago to be with Ernest, explained that they had decided to part, but their views changed when Ernest was drafted. However, Edward did not mention Ernest after his March 9, 1942 letter. He also wrote of attending a country club dinner for British relief during which they held a mock air raid (ca. February 14, 1941). There is a December 13, 1941, telegram from Edward conveying his arrival time and stating that he must see Milton (Scrapbook Vol.2, p. 69). By December 1944, Edward had moved to Long Beach, California, and worked with Douglass aircraft. His letters after 1945 became more sporadic, especially after he purchased a nursery.

There are three letters from Mildenau, Germany, to their Frenzel relatives in America (in German). One letter is addressed directly to Hulda and Max from cousin Hulda Muller, another addressed “Dear Relative” is from Manfred Frensel, and the third is addressed “Dear Uncle Max and Family.” The letters contained photographs that are identified in German (B3/f.13).

There are scattered notes and letters written to Milton from Emil Frei, Jr., often about jobs and deadlines (e.g. 4-19-46) The Freis thanked the Frenzels for their hospitality in a circa Janaury 22, 1947 letter. There are also letters from Dot, sometimes also signed Dorothy, presumably the wife of Bob Harmon, another prominent designer with Emil Frei Associates.

Illnesses and ailments are discussed in several letters. Virginia’s father had surgery at Deaconness Hospital (March 6, 1946) and her mother was hospitalized at St. Mary’s Hospital (December 1951). Ed and Florence Moseley were longtime friends and correspondents of the Frenzels. In 1941, Ed was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent about seven months in Koch Hospital. The couple sent a letter to friends on April 8, 1941, explaining some of Ed’s experiences during convalescence. Milton’s sister, Elva Hagemann, explained in a note that their doctor advised them not to take their children to the country until after the polio attack had begun to decline. The doctor believed that mosquitoes carried the germs.

There are fewer letters from the 1950s and 1960s. A letter comprised of illustrated jokes was sent to Mary Frenzel circa February 1963. There are several letters from Lorraine Davis, a longtime resident of California. Her last letters to Virginia recounted her trip from San Francisco to Mineral Wells, Texas, via a travel trailer.

The subject files are arranged alphabetically by topic and by type of document. There is a file of clippings with several newsclippings about Milton and Virginia. These provide the only clues to Virginia’s community activities in Ironton. Milton’s files contain memorials, the memorial book from his funeral, and a file of articles and announcements about his artwork. The memorials contain a talk given by Milton’s close friend, Michael Chomyk, about details of their early childhood in south St. Louis and the neighborhood hinge factory.

There are files on the Prices as well. In 1926, Andrew Price won the family’s home on Lyndover Place in Maplewood at a festival raffle and saved the notification letter and tickets. Other documents belonging to Andrew and Edna include: Edna’s baptismal certificate (1888), their marriage license, birthday cards, Red Cross awards, Andrew’s funeral bill, and genealogical information. There are files on Alma Fletcher, a longtime resident of Ironton. Her relationship to the Frenzels is unclear. There is also a file of clippings on Mrs. Amos Groom, aunt of Andrew Price.

There are two scrapbooks in the collection. Volume 1 contains keepsakes from the Frenzels’ European trip from June to October 1938. Mementos include bon voyage notes and cards, menus and floor plans from the ships on which they travelled, ticket stubs, maps, postage stamps (p.80), and tourist brochures. Letters received by the Frenzels as their trip came to a close (p.73) have been removed and placed with the correspondence (B1/f.13). In late September 1938, the Prices sent a telegram to Italy asking that the young couple leave Rome (Vol.1, p.59). Newspaper clippings about the places they visited and dating from 1939 through 1941 were loosely inserted between the pages. The Frenzels sailed home on the Empress of Britain, which a Nazi airplane sank in October 1940 off the Irish coast.

The second scrapbook, Volume 2, dates from 1938 to 1951. It contains mostly love notes, monthly happy anniversary cards, holiday cards, and small handmade booklets of humorous poems between Milton and Virginia. These include a few personal notes written during their European trip (p.23). They use their nicknames, “Bussey” and “Price,” and variations of several other humorous pen names. Much of the verses and notes are printed in pencil on brown transparent paper. Milton penned most of the missives, but Virginia created some as well. One of the couple wrote notes on several items that provide the date and the circumstance of the writing, e.g. “the day my bike was stolen.”