Sleuthing in the Donna Reed Archives

kAms@??2 HC@E6 2 =:EE=6 23@FE 96C H@C<[ H9:49 D96 56D4C:365 2D “92C5 2?5 56>2?5:?8j” 23@FE 9@H E65:@FD D96 7@F?5 D9@AA:?8 7@C 96C AC@76DD:@?2= 2?5 A6CD@?2= H2C5C@36j 2?5 23@FE 96C W>@DE=J 3FD:?6DD C6=2E65X EC2G6=D] w6C E@?6 492?865 6?E:C6=J H96? D96 HC@E6 23@FE 96C 72>:=J[ 3@E9 96C 496C:D965 72>:=J @7 @C:8:? 2?5 E96 72>:=J D96 4C62E65 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5[ %@?J ~H6?] xE H2D 4=62C E92E :? DA:E6 @7 36:?8 2 H@C<:?8 >@E96C :? 2 E:>6 H96? :E H2D?’E D@ 4@>>@?[ 96C E@A AC:@C:EJ[ 2D H6== 2D 96C AC:56 2?5 ;@J[ H2D 96C 49:=5C6?] {@?8 367@C6 D96 3642>6 p>6C:42’D >@> @? %96 s@??2 #665 $9@H[ D96 H2D ;FDE |@>]k^Am

kAms@??2’D 6=56DE D@?[ %@?J ~H6?[ yC][ :? 2? 2CE:4=6 AF3=:D965 3J E96 s2:=J }@?A2C6:= :? yF?6 a__f[ D2:5[ “x D2H >J A2C6?ED 6G6CJ 52J[ 2?5 H6 925 5:??6C 2E ?:89E 2C@F?5 E96 E23=6] %@ >6[ |@> H2D s@??2 ~H6?[ D49=6AA:?8 E96 <:5D 2C@F?5]”k^Am

kAm%@?J yC] =:<65 E96 ?@C>2= =:76 96 H2D 244FDE@>65 E@ 2?5 H9:49 s@??2 2?5 %@?J $C] EC:65 E@ AC@G:56 7@C 9:> 2?5 9:D D:3=:?8D] }6G6CE96=6DD[ E96C6 H6C6 E:>6D H96? E96 72>:=J H2D 2AAC@24965 H9:=6 5:?:?8 @FE[ 36:?8 2D<65 7@C 2FE@8C2A9D] x? %@?J’D H@C5D[ “xE 2??@J65 E96 96== @FE @7 FD] x E9@F89E[ ‘%9:D :D >J E:>6 H:E9 |@>[ ?@E J@FCD]’ “k^Am

kAmw6 5:5 =:<6 E@ G:D:E 9:D >@E96C @? E96 D6E @7 %96 s@??2 #665 $9@H[ 9@H6G6C[ 3642FD6 96 H2D “72D4:?2E65 3J E96 AC@46DD]”k^Am

kAmx? 2 =6EE6C E@ ':@=6E[ 52E65 y2?F2CJ `b[ `he`[ s@??2 HC@E6[ “|J EH@ @=56DE 2C6 E2==6C E92? x 2> ?@H 2E `b 2?5 `c J62CD @7 286[ 2?5 C62==J D@ >F49 7F?PP x 92G6 7@F?5 E92E 9F>@C 2?5 2 H6==\DA@EE65 =2F89 >2<6 E96D6 J62CD BF:E6 A2:?=6DD[ D@ 72C[ 2E 2?J C2E6j :? 724E[ E96J’C6 7F?[ 2D x D2:5] !6??J 5:D4@G6C65 4@>A6E:E:G6 DH:>>:?8 =2DE DF>>6C] }@H D96 92D 3=@@5 :? 96C 6J6 2?5 2 4@249[ 2D H6== 2D 96C 6J6 @? %@<J@ ‘ec[ 3FE H6’== D66 23@FE E9:D ~=J>A:4D 3FD:?6DD :? 5F6 E:>6P %96J 2== A=2J 72:C=J 8@@5 E6??:D[ H6== 6?@F89 E@ 8:G6 >J 9FD32?5 2?5 >6 2 H@C<@FE @? E96 4@FCED 2?5 H6 ECJ E@ :?5F=86[ 6G6? @G6C E96 H:?E6C[ 2E =62DE @?46 2 H66<] W|2CJ 492D6D E96 32==]X %:> :D ?@H ``[ G6CJ 2E9=6E:4 2?5 24256>:4] |2CJ :D b ½[ 92AAJ[ 4@>A=6E6=J @FE8@:?8[ 2?5 5:G:?6 H9:49 :D ECF6 @7 2== cE9 49:=5C6? :? 2 72>:=J[ 6DA64:2==J :7 E96J 2C6 8:C=DP (92E 2 ;@JP”k^Am

kAmx? DF3D6BF6?E =6EE6CD E@ ':@=6E[ :E :D @3G:@FD E92E E96C6 H6C6 C62D@?23=6 6IA64E2E:@?D 2?5 ?@C>2=4J 7@C E96 49:=5C6?] s@??2 C6A@CED E92E %@?J 2?5 !6??J 92G6 DF>>6C ;@3D[ E92E %:> :D 2 “=2?8F286 H9:K” 2D 2 9:89 D49@@= D@A9@>@C6[ E92E |2CJ :D 2? “6IF36C2?E” 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= DEF56?E H:E9 >2?J :?E6C6DED[ :?4=F5:?8 9@CD6D[ 2?5 E92E E96 72>:=J 6?;@J65 2 566A D62 7:D9:?8 EC:A H96C6 %:> 2?5 2 7C:6?5 =2?565 2 `bc\A@F?5 >2C=:?] “p?5 E96 362DE ?@H 92?8D DEF7765 @? @FC =2?2: 7@C 2== E@ 25>:C6 E96D6 52JD[” 25565 s@??2]k^Am

kAmu@F?52E:@? }6HDi %96 s@??2 #665 u@F?52E:@? :D A=62D65 E@ 2??@F?46 :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ E96 2F5:@\G:DF2= 2?5 =:89E:?8 DJDE6>D :? E96 E962E6C 2?5 A=2?D 2C6 ?@H F?56CH2J 7@C 2 f_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ D9@H:?8 @7 uC@> w6C6 E@ tE6C?:EJ ?6IE J62C] (6 4@?E:?F6 E@ H6=4@>6 4@>>F?:EJ DFAA@CE[ G@=F?E66C A2CE:4:A2E:@?[ 2?5 DF886DE:@?D 7@C E96 FE:=:K2E:@? @7 @FC =@42= EC62DFC6] %96 >FD6F> :D @A6? 7C@> `` 2]>] — c A]>] %F6D52J E9C@F89 $2EFC52J 2?5 E@FCD @7 E96 >FD6F> 2?5 E962E6C 2C6 4@?5F4E65 2E ` A]>] @? %9FCD52JD 2?5 $2EFC52JD] pCC2?86>6?ED 42? 36 >256 7@C :?5:G:5F2= @C 8C@FA E@FCD 2E @E96C E:>6D 3J A9@?:?8 E96 @77:46 2E f`a\aeb\bbbc] }6H 3C@49FC6D 2C6 ?@H 2G2:=23=6 56E2:=:?8 D:8?:7:42?E 6G6?ED :? E96 =:76 @7 s@??2 #665 2?5 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 E962E6C]k^Am