Abstract
Frank Zissa (1878-1957) was born in Germany, but emigrated in 1889 and settled in Stowe, Pennsylvania. Zissa fought in the Spanish-American War, then joined the Marine Corps and served on campaigns in Nicaragua, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, China, Japan, and many other countries. The Frank Zissa letters, 1901-1987, consist primarily of letters from Frank to his wife, with additional correspondence with other family members, 1901-1919.
Biography/History
Frank Zissa (1878-1957) was born in Germany, but his family emigrated to the United States in 1889 and settled in Stowe, Pennsylvania. Zissa married Flora May Huetter (1884-1954) of Pottstown. The couple had 3 children. Zissa fought in the Spanish-American War, then joined the Marine Corps and served on campaigns in Nicaragua, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, China, Japan, and many other countries. He assisted during the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, and was with the first group of Marines who established the Marine Base at Quantico, Virginia in 1917. Zissa continued in the Marine Corps Reserve starting 1919, while working as a machinist for Dana Corporation.
Bibliography
Some of the information in this note is from a document in the collection titled, "Family Backgrounds of Frank F. and Flora M (Huetter) Zissa," which was compiled by Robert F. Zissa, son of Frank and Flora in 1987. Obituary. "Marine Veteran, Frank Zissa, 78, Dies in Hospital." Pottstown Mercury, April 17, 1957.
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of correspondence, primarily between Frank and Flora, with some letters to other family members, 1901-1919. Some of the letters are written on postcards, which depict South American locations where Zissa was stationed. The letters comment on Zissa's daily life as a soldier/ marine, and sometimes relate stories about the locales where he was stationed or fighting he experienced. The collection includes a small amount of biographical and autobiographical material on Frank Zissa. Item-level inventories are available on-site.
Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories.