Guy W. Oliver Letter

Collection

Identifier: A3317

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The letter, dated 26 July 1950, was written by Guy W. Oliver to Charles Murray informing him about the death of Randolph Fairfax “Fax” Funsten. Oliver explained that Gene, Eugene M. Funsten, left Georgia to attend the funeral in St. Louis and will miss Murray’s visit. The letter is typed on R. E. Funsten Company letterhead.

Dates

July 26, 1950

Creator

Oliver, Guy W. (Williamson), 1918-1967 (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

The R. E. Funsten Company was founded by Robert Emmett Funsten (1851-1927) in 1897. The company dealt in dried fruits and nuts, especially pecans and black walnuts. It was headquartered in St. Louis, but also had plants in Kentucky and Georgia. It supplied bakeries, confectioneries, ice cream manufacturers, and retail grocers. The company was sold to Pet Milk Company in 1961. It was most well-known for a 1933 strike initiated by black women employed to separate nutmeat from the shells.

Randolph Fairfax “Fax” Funsten (1895-1950) was the youngest of six children born to Robert E. and Charlotte Elizabeth (Cook) Funsten. Like many of the Funsten family members, Fax worked for the family company. Guy Williamson Oliver (1918-1967) also worked at R. E. Funsten Company and was married to Fax’s niece, Elizabeth “Betty” Funsten McCarthy (1917-2000).