The collection contains mostly correspondence along with some photographs, newspaper clippings, military records, and probate records relating to the Howard and Opal Sheppard family. The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic and type of document and span from 1916 to 1965 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1916 to 1921. Most of the collection is comprised of correspondence between Howard and Opal from 1916 to July 1921, when they married. There are several date gaps in the correspondence with the largest gaps occurring between: August 1921 through 1925, September 1926 through August 1941, and October 1944 through 1951.

The correspondence in this collection indicates separations between Howard and Opal, and later, their children. Therefore, the date gaps represent times in which their family unit was together. There are no letters from the time of their marriage in 1921 until their children were old enough to attend college and summer camps away from home beginning in 1941. With one exception, there are a few letters written in 1926 by Opal when she traveled to visit family. Once their children are married and have families of their own and reside in other states in the 1950s, there are more letters and greeting cards. There are a few photographs included with letters.

The letters from 1916 through 1918 are exclusively between Howard and Opal, beginning when they were both in college. In April 1917 while at the University of Illinois, Howard wrote to Opal about entering the military and in April he took the lieutenant’s exam in the Coast Artillery Corp. He discussed the war and rumors regarding a German attack on the U.S. via Mexico. He also told of changes on campus, most notably the number of young men leaving school for service (B1/f.2).

As 1917 progressed, Howard explained his army life to Opal including a “company smoker” celebration with boxing matches, cigars, music, and hula dancing (16 Dec 1917, B1/f.7). They shared news about mutual friends serving in the military. At Fort Wright, near Long Island Sound, Howard’s duties included submarine watch (13 June 1918, B1/f.12). He discussed the monotony of Army life in the U.S. and on 2 December 1917, Howard sent Opal a letter in which the first page is mirror writing, which requires a mirror to read it as it is written backwards (B1/f.7).

Opal and Howard spent much time in their letters working out the parameters of their relationship and getting to know one another. In May 1918, they became engaged, however, they spent much of this time apart. In June, Howard received leave to visit home, indicating an imminent departure for Europe. His first letter mailed from Europe, and also the first censored letter, is dated circa 21 August 1918. He explained that his battery would receive more training and might not see action until 1919. Howard wrote letters dated from circa 21 through 26 August from the ship and posted them upon arrival in Europe. Throughout the fall of 1918, he often complained about not getting Opal’s letters. Once Howard was home again, in 1919, Opal’s letters that she had written in late 1918 were returned to her unopened. These letters are filed either by date written or according to the first post mark date (for an explanation see 16 Mar 1919, B2/f.12).

In September 1918, Howard wrote from France about his living conditions, which were good, the French people, and his duties which included censoring letters and being the athletic officer who arranged baseball games among other physical activities. Despite not reaching the front himself, Howard was in a location near a hospital where he encountered several nurses and servicemen who had been at the front. He relayed their stories to Opal. In his 16 October 1918 letter, Howard explained that the men did face mask drills and conditioned their lungs to wearing them based upon experiences of the men at the front (B2/f.5). On 8 December 1918, he recounted events at the Battle of Ardennes that he heard from a nurse (B2/f.9). He also described reactions of the servicemen and the celebrations by the French citizens to the armistice in his November 1918 letters.

Starting in 1919, Howard saved a few letters from friends in France (June, July, December 1919 and January 1920). In 1920, he and Opal also saved a few letters from other friends and family, however, the majority of the letters from 1919 to 1921 are still between Howard and Opal while they had jobs in different Illinois towns. Gray R. Austin, a friend of Howard’s who left his young family in Illinois to file a land claim in Wyoming, wrote on 2 May 1920 from the home of Howard’s uncle (B4/f.1).

Howard and Opal often went weeks, sometimes months, without seeing one another. Opal worked in Rockford and Howard worked in Edwardsville and Alton. In their letters they shared experiences about their jobs, news of friends and family, and their views and values relating to marriage, religion, and dreams for their future. They also discussed the physical aspects of marriage and premarital sex. Howard related what he read in books on marriage and sent an advertisement for a book written by Margaret Sanger, encouraging Opal to obtain a copy (B7/f.1). By May 1921, after searching for jobs, Howard set up business with John Schwaab in Alton. Once school was out, Opal began planning in earnest for their wedding and set the wedding date.

The letters from the children while away at college or camps generally date from 1941 to 1944 and are often addressed to the entire family. They wrote about their classes, financial needs, laundry, schedules for visits home, and sent birthday greetings. The final bit of correspondence dates from circa 1952 to 1961. There are several greeting cards from this date range. Opal wrote most of these letters when she visited their daughters’ families after the birth of their children in California, Florida, and Wheaton, Illinois. On most occasions, she told Howard about their daily activities and talked of his eminent arrival. There are also a few cards and brief notes from Opal’s sisters and Howard’s sister, Leila.

The remainder of the collection is comprised of several subject files including: undated greeting cards, unidentified photographs of France that Howard most likely took in 1918 and 1919, probate records from Charles Alfred Sheppard’s estate (Howard’s father), and Howard’s grade reports from the University of Illinois. One folder contains newspaper clippings and newsletters concerning family members with wedding announcements, a funeral program and a memorial article about Frances H. Trost, Opal’s sister. Another folder contains various financial items such as checks and insurance receipts which also includes a small notebook dated 1921-1922 in which daily expenses such as groceries are recorded. Howard Sheppard’s military folder includes his officer’s record book which records his training, his promotion from second to first lieutenant, and his dates of service. He sent a newspaper clipping and two publications about his unit to Opal before he shipped to Europe. There are copies of Howard’s papers recording his seven-day leave that he was granted after Christmas in France in 1918. There are two certificates issued as Howard returned to the United States. The first is his physical certificate at the embarkation camp on 24 January 1919 and the second is a signed document certifying that he debarked with the 68th Artillery, C.A.C. in Hoboken, New Jersey, on 16 February 1919.