Name: John Owen
Country of Service: Peru
Dates in Service: June 1962 – July 1964
Keywords: Education
Accession Date: October 14, 2019
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.01 linear feet (located in oversized map drawer)
Document Types/Finding Aid
• 5 Posters
Name: Dan C. Hoffman
Country of Service: Brazil
Service Type: Community Development
Dates in Service: 1966-1968
Keywords: Community Development
Accession Date: October 18, 2019
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 0.25 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
Name: Gene Carl Feldman
Country of Service: Western Samoa
Place of Service: Upolu, Savai’i, and Manono
Service Type: Village Fisheries Development Project and Sea Turtle Conservation Project
Dates in Service: 1974-1977
Keywords: Agriculture, Architecture, Environment, Community Development
Accession Date: September 30, 2019
Access: No restrictions
Collection Size: 1 digital collection
Document Types
Digital Surrogates
Finding Aid
Name: Arthur Aaronson
Country of Service: Western Samoa
Place of Service: Fasitou’outa
Dates in Service: 1967-1969
Keywords: Community Development, Education, Health
Accession Date: July 25, 2019
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: 0.25 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
Name: A. Michael Marzolla
Country of Service: Guatemala and El Salvador
Place of Service: Mixco and El Tigre
Service Project Title: Regional Agriculture Cooperatives Volunteer
Dates in Service: 1973-1974, 1976-1977
Keywords: Agriculture, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health
Accession Date: April 25, 2019
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: 0.5 linear feet
Document Types
Related Items in Other Repositories
Finding Aid
Name: John O. Montoya
Country of Service: Colombia
Place of Service: Tenjo
Service Type: Community Development
Dates in Service: 1961-1963
Keywords: Agriculture, Community Development, Health
Accession Date: March 26, 2019
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: 1 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
Country of Service: Senegal
Service Type: Community Development, Agriculture, Health
Dates in Service: 1979-1981
Keywords: Agriculture, Community Development, Health
Accession Date: October 26, 2018; April 27, 2022
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: .5 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
Box 1
Box 2
Country of Service: Dahomey
Service Type: Ruralization of Education
Dates of Service: 1967-1969
Keywords: Agriculture, Education
Accession Date: April 26, 2018
Access: No Restrictions
Collection Size: .25 linear feet
Document Types
Finding Aid
In a previous post, Love and Marriage in the Peace Corps, we looked at couples who met and married while serving abroad. But what about couples already married? As of 2017, only 2% of volunteers are married. Serving in the Peace Corps is a large commitment, yet many married couples were willing to carry on their life together while volunteering in a new country.
Brian Adler and Cynthia (Cindy) Elliot were boyfriend and girlfriend when they applied for service in February 2001. They were accepted for service in Suriname in March 2002, got married in May, and left in June. While helping their village build a school house and teaching the local villagers, Brian and Cindy set up a normal married life. They lived together, which not many couples serving get to do, spent time with friends, and battled bugs together. Brian and Cindy live in D.C. now with their daughter.
Brian and Cindy in the hammock
Delwyn and Claire Ziegler had already been married five years when they moved with their children (Colette, 4 and Andre, 2) to Colombia in 1970. For two years they maintained a normal family life of sending the kids to school, making friends, and celebrating anniversaries.
The Ziegler’s anniversary is February 13th and they celebrated it twice in Colombia. For their 6th they saw a spy movie, babysat for a friend, and drank some wine. And for their 7th they went to the nearest nice restaurant, Carreta, for dinner and later played rummy. While they enjoyed their time in Colombia, they were excited to come home in 1972. Colette and Andre ran into their grandmother’s arms.
Ziegler 6th Anniversary Celebration 1/2
Ziegler 6th Anniversary Celebration 2/2
Ziegler 7th Anniversary Celebration
We have 7 couples in the Peace Corps Community Archives, and each one is a unique story about two people who decided to serve in another country together.
The Peace Corp Community Archive accepts many types of records of volunteers from every decade, every country of service, and every type of service job. Though we did not accept donations for part of 2017, we added 6 unique collections to the archives that include a wide range of Peace Corps experiences. We featured some of these collections in previous posts but here you can learn about them in detail.
Phillip L. Scholl
Phillip served in India from 1965-1967 in Health Education. India faced many health crises in the 1960s and its government requested help from the Peace Corps. Philip’s group, India 20A, received training in public health and assisted India’s Primary Health Centers, which provided health care services throughout the country. Phillip donated a video about his travels through India.
You can watch the video here: India 20A Video
Visit the groups website here: India 20A Website
And see a previous highlight post about this collection here: India 20A Post
Jan and Leslie Czechowski
Jan and Leslie decided to volunteer after they retired at the age of 64 and are two of the oldest volunteers in the collection. They donated a booklet that contains, in chronological order, their blog posts and emails from their service. The couple served in Moldova in 2012 in Community Development. Leslie’s main job was helping with the Global Libraries project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They enjoyed their time in Moldova immensely but had to cut their service short because Leslie became ill. A number of Peace Corps Volunteers end their service early for a variety of reasons.
Jan and Leslie – June 22, 2012
Friday, August 3rd, 2012 – Sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers
Delwyn and Claire Ziegler
Delwyn and Claire, with their two daughters, were among the first Peace Corps Volunteer Families. They served in Colombia from 1970-1972 in Community Development and Education. They donated a manual entitled, “Guide to Small Business Consultation,” which was compiled by Delwyn, and a 500+ page diary consisting of correspondence, notes, daily updates, and other writings from their service. The Ziegler’s were one of only two families that stayed the full two years and said “it was the best two years of our lives.” The Peace Corps discontinued the families program after a few years.
You can find their diary here: Diary of the Zieglers in Colombia
Lynda Smith-Nehr
Lynda served in the Philippines from 1962-1964 in Education. Her collection consists of the many slides she took during her service. The slides show pictures of the villages she worked in, the people she worked with, and the places she traveled. Lynda experienced a lot during her service.
April 1963 – My Junior Class – Mt. Apo
Davao Mt. Apo School – April 1963
Thomas J. Hassett
Thomas served in Nepal from 1965-1966 in Community Development. His fellow volunteers described him as easy to get along with and perfect for the Peace Corps. However, Thomas’s time in the Peace Corps was cut short by an unfortunate fall on his way to visit a friend. At the age of 22 Thomas passed away and was buried in Nepal. Included in his collection are letters to and from his family and friends, condolence letters to his parents, and photos of his work and burial service. Tom’s parents paid for a memorial for him and visited his grave in 1966.
“Thomas J. Hassett, Russian novelist phase – June 1966”
“L to R: ?? Sam Myqatt (partially hidden) by another in front of Bill Hanson. Blond is Cail Hoshicka. Father Moran, Minister.”
Tina Singleton
Tina served in the Central African Republic and Benin from 1992-1996. She worked in Health Education with a focus on Benin’s disabled community. She traveled to the first African Special Olympics in 1992. Tina enjoyed her time so much she stayed twice as long as a normal service tour. Tina’s collection itself consists of numerous letters to her family and many (many) photos that illustrate her time in Africa.
Tina’s school class, she is second from the left.
1992 – First African Special Olympics
As you can see from just this small group of collections, a Peace Corps Volunteer’s experience can vary greatly. Every year new collections are donated to the Peace Corps Community Archive that add to these stories.