The papers contain various certificates, diplomas, and ephemera relating to three generations of the Frank Henry Astroth family dating from 1888 to 1956. Also included are letters written by Frank Bolte Astroth while serving in the U.S. Infantry from 1917 to 1919 during World War I. The papers are arranged alphabetically by individual name.

Family members represented in the papers include Frank Henry Astroth, his son Frank Bolte Astroth, his daughters Anna W. Astroth and Helen F. Hetlage, and his grandson George A. Hetlage along with his wife June C. Doyle. For all family members except Frank Bolte Astroth, the papers are comprised primarily of various certificates (baptismal, confirmation, and marriage) and diplomas. Other items include the marriage certificate of Frank Henry Astroth and Emma Bolte (1888), the 20th anniversary program of Anna Astroth at Caroline Mission (1956), and a tuberculosis x-ray postcard sent to June C. Doyle by the Tuberculosis Control Division, U.S. Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency (1947).

Letters written by Frank Bolte Astroth while in the military comprise the largest portion of the papers. Frank wrote to his father and his sisters, Helen and Anna, from 29 November 1917 to 15 June 1919. His family wrote the arrival date on most of the letters they received. There is only one letter not written by Frank. His friend, Will (no last name given, possibly Will Astroth), wrote from Tours, France, on 4 June 1919, telling Frank about his duties and his company baseball team.

Frank’s letters started while he trained at U.S. military installations: Fort Crook (Nebraska, Nov-Dec 1917), Fort Dodge (Iowa, Jan-May 1918), Camp Gordon (Georgia, June 1918), and Camp Hancock (Georgia, July 1918). While at Fort Crook, he played on the football team and reported that they lost a game to the Fort Omaha Balloon School team. An officer recommended Frank for officer training at Fort Dodge. Not long after arriving in Iowa, a man in his company contracted the mumps, requiring the entire company to quarantine. At Camp Gordon, Frank received the 2nd Lieutenant rank and a company command in the stables. By July, Frank received his orders to ship overseas and was sent to Camp Hancock for machine gun school. As an officer he had a list of supplies he needed to take overseas with him, which he was expected to supply for himself, including the purchase of a uniform. Frank asked his father for a loan to purchase what he needed.

Frank’s company command continued after arriving in Europe in August 1918. As a result, he kept records of the men and censored outgoing mail, including his own. His letters included impressions of the English, French, and later, German, people that he met. Frank was unable to disclose his location more accurately than “somewhere in France” except when he trained men at Selles-sur-Cher, France. He described the landscape, weather, and living conditions as he moved across France, Luxembourg, and Germany. On 18 September 1918, Frank told his father that “things are rather uncomfortable here…first thing I’m going to do when I get back to the states will be to visit a Turkish bath and spend 24 hours there.” He explained that they were taking thousands of prisoners every day and in his September 23rd letter he reported that the current soldier slogan is “Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken by Xmas.”

In early November 1918, Frank transferred to the 32nd Infantry Division and was in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive when the cease fire was announced on November 11th. He wrote to his father on November 16th that “the front line the night of the 11th looked like the 4th of July in the USA,” the divisional band played at the front, and the men celebrated by bathing and cleaning their clothes. In his letters after the armistice, Frank described where his company had fought and discovered that his German was better than he expected. After the cease fire, the 32nd moved to Consdorf, Luxembourg, and then to Rengsdorf and Isenburg, Germany. He wrote a long letter to Anna about Christmas Eve in Isenburg with his platoon and receiving twenty-four letters from home. On 20 January 1919, Frank wrote to Helen about the German national elections. Superiors placed him in charge of the guard at the polls since he could speak German.

Frank’s letters included lists of his duties and responsibilities. He lamented that his assignments did not place him with other men from St. Louis. On September 29th, Frank wrote that he had four men from south St. Louis in his platoon, although he did not include their names. He asked about friends and relatives, including Will Astroth, Joe Kirby, and Oliver Peters. On December 29th, Frank told Anna to contact his good friend, Margaret Liljenstolpe, if she goes to Omaha. In 1925, Frank married Margaret. While on leave in England and Scotland in April 1919, he saw the German Merchant Marine fleet surrender to the British Navy and visited the home of Jimmie Cunningham in Glasgow.

Some of Frank’s letters included items of interest for his family. He wrote to Anna with details about the sights he saw when he spent a few days in Paris (6 Oct 1918). Frank sent a German stamp to Helen that he got from a captain in the Argonne (15 Nov 1918). On 20 January 1919, he sent small photographs and clippings to Helen and said he also sent her a German helmet. A few other items relating to Frank’s military service included information about the 32nd “Red Arrow Division,” a photograph of an unidentified woman, and several newspaper clippings (f.6).

On 21 May 1919, Frank returned to the U.S. Before returning to St. Louis, he visited Omaha and Chicago. He received an honorable discharge on 18 June 1919.