Kimberly-Clark World War II Newsletters

The Kimberly-Clark Corporation owned and operated a papermill in Niagara, Wisconsin from 1898 until 1972. During this period the Village prospered and a carrying relationship grew between employer and employee.

The following Newsletters contain one aspect of this carrying relationship. During World War II, young people of the Niagara Area joined the United States Armed Forces to fight aggressor nations in Europe and in the Pacific. During this war, Kimberly-Clark encouraged a regular local newsletter program where messages of everyday life at home were sent to inspire those who were away serving their country.

Ralph Eiff, a Chemical Engineer, at the Niagara Mill from the early 1930s until 1945 was an organizer and inspiration behind many community programs, including the successfulness of these Newsletters.

We must thank Frank Sherman (NHS 1943) (US Army) who saved many of these newsletters over the years and in 2002 made them available to George Hohol (NHS 1946) of the Niagara Area Historical Society. George reproduced them on a copy machine and passed them on hoping something could be done to restore this historical material.

Doris (Cowie) Nabbefeld LaLiberte (NHS 1931) did the original typing as Personnel Clerk in the Mill. Now in retirement, Doris verified those people who were part of mill management and supporting the newsletter effort at that time.

Over the years the original mimeograph newsletters had faded and some copies could only be read with a magnifying glass. The determination was made to freshen up this material to make it readable by future generations. Over the last two years, each page has been retyped on a computer using a Pica style font to emulate the mimeograph format of the 1940s. All artwork has been carefully cut and pasted and inserted in the text. Retyping all of these newsletters has been an enlightening experience for me and I hope you enjoy this mini-history of the Niagara Area during WWII.

These Kimberly-Clark WWII Newsletters have been saved for future generations.