Kleemeier/Norment Family Papers

NOTE:  The numbers cited in parentheses, e.g. 1:5, refer the researcher to the Series#:Folder# in which that name/topic will be found.

INTRODUCTION

This collection consists of correspondence, legal and financial documents, photographs, printed materials, and scrapbooks relating primarily to Frances “Fanny” Kleemeier and the Kleemeier family. Also included are items from her sister, Katherine “Dusty” Norment, and the Norment family. Fanny’s husband, John “Jack” Kleemeier Jr., was a prominent lawyer in Greensboro, while Dusty’s husband, Dr. William Norment, was a surgeon at Wesley Long Hospital. Researchers interested in women’s history, World War II, and Greensboro society and life during the 1940s-1950s will find materials of interest in this collection.

Arrangement: This collection is organized into two groups, with series and folders arranged by document type and/or subject. The groups are: Kleemeier Family, 1910-1986; and Norment Family, 1895-1999.

Provenance: The bulk of this collection was donated by Nan E. Hannah in December 2012 and assigned accession number 2012.34.1. Nan Hannah’s maternal grandmother, Isabel Bouldin Edmunds, was the half-sister of Frances W. Kleemeier’s mother-in-law, Helen Bouldin Kleemeier. Her mother inherited these items from Fanny Kleemeier, who had inherited the Norment items from her sister, Dusty Norment. Additional materials, including a scrapbook (1924-1928; 7:1) and four photographs, were donated by Frances W. Kleemeier in December 1997 and assigned accession number 1997.104.1.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was prepared by intern Hannah Hemphill in June 2017.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

A successful surgeon, Dr. John A. Williams (1872-1923) obtained his degree from the University of Virginia before going to New York Polyclinic Hospital for postgraduate work. He practiced for several years in Reidsville and then joined St. Leo’s Hospital in Greensboro in 1906. Susan Reece (1881-1921), the adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Reece, spent her entire life in Greensboro and was heavily involved in First Presbyterian Church. She married Dr. Williams in 1908, and the couple lived at 123 E. Smith Street. They had two daughters, Frances “Fanny” Kleemeier (1909-2009) and Katherine “Dusty” Norment (1913-1999). After the deaths of their parents, Fanny and Dusty were raised by their maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Reece.

Fanny Kleemeier graduated from Greensboro High School in 1928 before attending Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She lived for several years in New York City and traveled frequently. During World War II, she worked for three years in the Civilian Navy Headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina, and as a clerk typist for the Army Air Forces. Until her marriage to John “Jack” Kleemeier Jr. in 1957, she ran the information and complaint desk at Greensboro City Hall. Dusty Norment, also taken in by her grandparents, eventually made her home with her aunt, Mrs. Francis Prescott Morton. She also attended Converse College in Spartanburg, and was a member of the Thalian Cotillion and the Greensboro Junior League. In 1937, she married Dr. William “Bill” Blount Norment, and they lived at 702 Woodridge Ave.

John “Jack” Kleemeier Jr. (1911-1973) of 1109 Hammel Road was the first child of Helen Bouldin and John Kleemeier. After receiving his J.D. degree with honors from the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School in 1935, he worked for two years at a law firm in Charlotte before joining the Navy during World War II, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. A prominent Greensboro lawyer, he began a partnership with King, Hagan, and Hannah in 1954. As the director of the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Jack worked to modernize and reform state adoption laws. He was an active member and elder at First Presbyterian Church, as well as a president of the Greensboro Civitan Club and the Greensboro Historical Museum.

Helen Elizabeth Kleemeier (1917-1991), Jack’s younger sister, attended the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina from 1936 to 1938, studying sociology. She moved to Charlotte in the early 1940s but had returned to Greensboro by 1946. At some point, she moved to Asheville, where she lived until her death.

Jack’s father, John A. Kleemeier Sr. (1879-1957), was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Elizabeth Haverkemp and John Cort Kleemeier. In 1902, he relocated to Greensboro to work for Wysong & Miles. He became president of the Greensboro Boiler and Machine Co., before returning to Wysong & Miles as president from 1920-1937. After 1937, he joined the firm of John Lambert and R.E. Norment to create Kleemeier-Norment-Lambert, Inc., which manufactured woodworking machinery; he retired in 1947. Kleemeier was a respected member of the Greensboro community as an elder at First Presbyterian Church, master of Corinthian Lodge 542 AF&AM, and a Shriner. In 1910, John Kleemeier Sr. married Helen Bouldin.

Helen Bouldin Kleemeier (1884-1920) was born in Woodburn, Virginia, to Harriet Ward (?-1892) and Briscoe Baldwin Bouldin (1856-1935). After the death of his first wife, Briscoe Bouldin married Isabel Carter Friend (1865-1957)) and had two more children, Isabel Carter Bouldin Edmunds (1897-1993) and Thomas “Vanderford” Bouldin (1900-1921). Helen died of influenza and pneumonia at the age of 35. Vanderford was struck and killed by an automobile. Their sister, Isabel Bouldin, married Thomas Edmunds and had three children: Nancy Edmunds Hannah, Isabelle Edmunds Gillespie, and Jane Edmunds Stephenson.

Dr. William “Bill” Blount Norment Jr. (1899-1980) was the son of Kate McCanless (1870-1954) and Dr. William Blount Norment Sr. (1871-1899). A doctor in Greensboro, he attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, did post-graduate work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and received his master’s in surgery from the University of Minnesota. Known for enhancing the hysteroscope in 1941, he received honors from the International Congress of Gynecologic Endoscopy and recognition from the American Medical Association. Along with eleven other doctors, Norment purchased Wesley Long Hospital in 1931, where he served as Chief of Staff from 1961-1967. He retired in 1976. Bill’s older sister, Beulah Norment (1895-1979) of Thomasville, graduated from the Greensboro College for Women (later Greensboro College) in 1917 with a diploma in music and worked as an elementary school teacher. She was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church in Thomasville and received a Bachelor of the Arts from High Point College in 1942.

Biographical Sources:  The biographical information was gathered from Ancestry.com, findagrave.com, the Guilford County Register of Deeds database, and obituaries in the Greensboro Patriot, Greensboro Daily News, Greensboro Record, and News & Record. Additional information was obtained from materials in the collection.

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The materials in this collection include correspondence, financial and legal documents, photographs, printed materials such as newspaper clippings, and several scrapbooks from the Kleemeier and Norment families.

The bulk of the collection is found in the Kleemeier group. Materials relating to Jack portray his contributions to the community, with photographs of him on the Greensboro Country Club Board of Directors (I 5:26), a Greensboro Civitan Club plaque (I 4:2), and newspaper articles detailing his involvement in First Presbyterian Church and his law firm (I 6:13). The many items in this collection from Fanny Kleemeier include two scrapbooks, one from Greensboro High School (1924-1928; I 7:1) and one with photographs of her travels (I 7:2). Also included are several photographs depicting her travels and life in New York in the 1940s. The other photos and Jack Kleemeier’s scrapbook date to around World War II (I 7:5-6). The Bouldin family materials, which are mostly photographs, are also encompassed in this group.

The Norment Family group is much smaller and does not contain the same depth of information. Photographs and printed materials make up the majority of this group, but many of the photographs are not identified. Items of interest include photographs of Bill and Dusty’s married life (II 2:5) and home at 702 Woodland Ave. (II 2:6). The printed materials relate largely to Beulah’s educational pursuits at Greensboro College for Women (1915-1916; II 3:5,7). The few items that represent Dr. Williams and his wife include his medical certificate from the University of the State of New York (1895; II 3:9), their wedding announcement (1909; II 3:4), and a few photographs of them and their home at 123 E. Smith Street (II 2:8-10).

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

I. Kleemeier Family

1. Correspondence.  11 folders (33 items).  1910-1986.

Many of the letters in this series are from World War II, including letters to Fanny Kleemeier from the War Department about her position as a clerk typist (1:10), letters of recommendation written for Fanny by Commander Koebig after her position was terminated (1:2), and a recruitment letter to Helen Kleemeier (1:9). A highlight of this series is the letter from John A. Kleemeier Sr. to Helen Kleemeier that discusses family matters and Jack Kleemeier’s lifestyle in the Navy (1:7). Also included are several letters from the Hannah family to Helen Kleemeier that span 19 years (1:4), Christmas cards (1:1), and letters from Helen Bouldin Kleemeier to her family and doctor (1:6). A few letters from Kleemeier-Norment-Lambert, Inc. to Helen Kleemeier discuss her dividends earned (1948-1950; 1:8). Finally, Richard Wharton sent a letter to Fanny Kleemeier about a memorial resolution adopted by the Session of First Presbyterian Church following Jack Kleemeier’s death (1973; 1:11).

2. Financial.  3 folders (19 items).  1940-1953.

The bulk of this series pertains to Kleemeier-Norment-Lambert, Inc. Included are lists of orders and shipments, an amendment to the company’s certificate of incorporation, and the contract for sale of the Kleemeier family’s stock in the company (1948-1950; 2:3). Other items consist of receipts from Fanny’s time in New York (ca. 1940s; 2:1) and Helen Kleemeier’s stock purchases (1940-1955; 2:2).

3. Legal.  5 folders (11 items).  1919-1974.

Many of the materials in this series relate to Helen Kleemeier. Included are a power of attorney and trust document from 1972 giving her brother, Jack Kleemeier, control of her assets, an inventory of her assets from 1957, and a finalization of her accounts as a minor in 1937 (3:3). Jack Kleemeier also had a finalization of his accounts as a minor in 1932 (3:5). Additionally, there is a list of Kleemeier family assets (3:2) and a care agreement for John C. Kleemeier (1939; 3:4), Jack and Helen’s grandfather. Also of interest is the will of Helen Bradley, Helen Bouldin Kleemeier’s namesake, which names Mrs. Kleemeier and subsequently removes her (1919; 3:3).

4. Miscellaneous.  3 folders (3 items).  1969-1973.

These items include a green letter case with “J.A. Kleemeier” imprinted on the front (4:1), a plaque honoring Jack Kleemeier’s presidency of the Greensboro Civitan Club in 1969-1970 (4:2), and his North Carolina Bar membership card (1972-1973; 4:3).

5. Photographs.  29 folders (ca. 250 items).  1914-1985.

Items of note in the series are photographs of the Greensboro Country Club Board of Directors (1963-1972; 5:26), on which Jack Kleemeier served, and a photograph of Fanny Kleemeier at City Hall taken by local newspaper photograph Jack Moebes (1952; 5:9). Several photographs show Jack and Fanny during World War II (5:10,14,23). Jack served in the Navy, and Fanny worked for the Civilian Navy Headquarters in Charleston.

The family photographs are of both the Bouldin and Kleemeier families. Photo albums show the Bouldin and Edmunds family (5:1), as well as Fanny and Jack’s wedding (5:2). The Kleemeier photographs include images of John A. Kleemeier Sr. (5:19), Helen Bouldin Kleemeier in her wedding dress (5:17), and siblings Jack and Helen Kleemeier (5:8). Many photographs show Fanny Kleemeier both before and after her marriage, with photographs of her as a child, her wedding, and the destinations she visited and her time living in New York (5:9-16). The series ends with two miscellaneous folders of photographs that are mostly unidentified (5:28-29).

6. Printed Materials.  16 folders (ca. 55 items).  1910-1986.

Included in Fanny’s materials are a perfect attendance certificate from First Presbyterian Church (1921), her diploma from Greensboro High School (1928), and typed text recounting her memories of living with her grandparents at age eleven (6:2). Helen’s materials consist of a partially filled baby book, her Greensboro High School report cards for 1932-1934, and a memory book from Greensboro High School from 1934 (6:3). Documents from Jack and Fanny’s wedding show who was in their wedding party (6:5). Also included are funeral programs for both John A. Kleemeier Sr. (6:4) and Jack Kleemeier (6:6).

This series contains several folders of newspaper clippings. Among them are the marriage announcement and obituary of Helen Bouldin Kleemeier (6:11), and materials about John A. Kleemeier Sr., such as an article about a Woodworking Machinery Convention and his obituary (6:12). Also included are articles about Helen Kleemeier’s involvement in the Girl Scouts (1939; 6:10) and Jack and Fanny’s wedding announcement (1957; 6:9). Articles about Jack Kleemeier relate to the opening of his law firm of Hagan, Hannah, and King (1954), his installation as president of the Men’s Club at First Presbyterian Church (1955), and his obituary (1973; 6:13). One article tells about Briscoe Bouldin being shot by moonshiners while working for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (6:8).

7. Scrapbooks.  6 folders (ca. 120 items).  ca. 1911-1940s.

This series consists of five scrapbooks. Fanny Kleemeier’s scrapbook from Greensboro High School (1924-1928; 7:1) contains newspaper clippings about sports and school events, invitations to parties and graduation ceremonies, and many programs for performances. Also of note is a notice of Fanny’s driver license being issued (1925). The second scrapbook documents her travels from 1932-1941 (7:2). Pictures are mostly well labeled and show friends and the destinations she visited. This scrapbook contains negatives, two photographs of her mother, Susan Reece Williams, and one of her father, Dr. John A. Williams. Of interest is an article from the Greensboro Daily News about “Greensboro Women Traveling to Bermuda,” along with a few photographs taken in Greensboro.

Helen Bouldin Kleemeier kept two scrapbooks about Jack and Helen Kleemeier as babies. The pink “Biography of Our Baby” is about Jack Kleemeier (1911-1916; 7:4), and also contains photographs of the house in which Jack was born at 103 S. Ashe Street and the house that John A. Kleemeier Sr. purchased at 207 N. Park Drive. The book regarding Helen Kleemeier as a baby is blue and titled “Baby’s Life” (1917-1918; 7:3). Of interest is the family tree in the back of the scrapbook.

The last two folders consist of loose materials from Jack Kleemeier’s scrapbook (7:5-6). Most of the photographs and negatives in his scrapbook date from the 1940s, including images from Navy Day (1945) and Jack in his Navy Uniform with family members and an unidentified woman. Several images show Jack at the beach, Jack sailing with friends, and a hunting dog. Also included are postcards to and from his mother, Helen Bouldin Kleemeier, and one photograph of Jack as a baby. The majority of the images are unidentified.

II. Norment Family

1. Correspondence.  2 folders (6 items).  ca. 1916-1987.

This series contains Christmas cards from the Billy Armfield and Brent Holderness families (1:1) and two postcards, one of which was a birthday card to Beulah Norment (1:2).

2. Photographs.  10 folders (ca. 80 items).  ca. 1918-1980s.

Some highlights of this series are photographs of Dusty Norment in her wedding dress (2:7), photographs of the Norment house at 702 Woodridge Avenue (2:6), and childhood photos of Bill and Beulah Norment (2:4). A weakness of the series is that many of the photographs are unidentified, including those in an album (ca. 1918; 2:1). Other than the childhood photos, no photographs of Beulah are identified. A few photographs show Dr. John A. Williams (2:9) and Susan Reece Williams, including a tintype of her with a dog (2:8), and their home at 123 E. Smith St (2:10).

3. Printed Materials.  11 folders (32 items).  1895-1999.

The majority of the printed materials relate to Beulah Norment’s enrollment at Greensboro College for Women from 1915-1916. Included are a variety of programs and newspaper clippings (3:1,5). Other materials represent further educational achievements, such as her 1942 diploma from High Point College (3:5). Additional newspaper clippings include Bill and Dusty Norment’s marriage announcement (3:3) and Mrs. Kate Norment’s obituary (3:2). Materials that pertain to the Williams family are the marriage announcement of Dr. and Mrs. John A. Williams (3:4) and Dr. Williams’ 1895 medical student certificate from the University of the State of New York (3:9).

FOLDER LISTING