Description
Papers consist of Washburn/Young family
genealogical history. The collection includes letters, publications, writings,
and photo albums.
Background
Winifred Washburn was raised on a dairy farm in Oakland hills where her
parents, Olivia Rudolph Young and George Demming, homesteaded. She graduated
from the College of the Pacific in 1941 with a Bachelor's degree in Religious
Education. Her career in special education spanned 25 years and included
writing a major teaching manual on mainstreaming special-needs children back
into the classroom. Her husband, Charles Harrison "Harry" Washburn was a
chaplain in WWII, was a prisoner of war (POW), and later became an ordained
minister. While in active duty, he commissioned the "Nun's Flag" so that a
United States flag would be displayed over a cemetery in Hamlein, Germany on
the first Memorial Day following the surrender in Europe in 1945. Through their
62 years of marriage, Winifred and Harrygb dedicated their lives to service and
the importance of spreading religious educational values. She was also an
accomplished poet and published numerous works. Winifred's mother, Olivia
Young, was an award winning poet and published various works of her own, as
well as a poetry manual published in collaboration with Winifred.
Restrictions
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as
the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the
researcher.