Series consists of the personal papers of John George Diefenbaker, his parents, his brother Elmer, his wives, Edna M. Brower and Olive E. (Freeman) Palmer, his uncle Edward and his stepdaughter Carolyn (Palmer) Weir and her family. Together, the personal papers of these individuals represent one of the most comprehensive archival collections devoted to the family of a Canadian political figure.
The series is organized according to a hierarchical list of family members which gives prominence to John G. Diefenbaker. The correspondence is further divided into five categories: Family, Personal, Family Illness, Family Death and General. Family Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Incoming and outgoing correspondence have been consolidated and filed under the name of the family member highest in the hierarchical arrangement. Thus the greatest amount of family correspondence is found under John Diefenbaker's name.
Personal correspondence is that with non-family members. It is also organized chronologically, except for that of Olive, and John and Olive together, where the volume of correspondence necessitated an alphabetical arrangement.
Family illness and Family death correspondence consists primarily of messages of sympathy and condolence. It is filed with the papers of the recipient and is arranged, together with medical and funeral records, by the name of the family member who was ill or deceased. Sympathy messages addressed directly to an ill family member are filed under their Personal or General correspondence.
General correspondence is a category reserved for Olive Diefenbaker, and contains the voluminous correspondence she received as a public figure in her own right. It is arranged alphabetically by subject.
In addition to correspondence the series contains the diaries and other writing of family members, as well as legal and estate records, marriage records, financial records, military service records, education, honours and awards, clippings and a variety of types of documentation.
The Family series is a valuable source of information on Diefenbaker and his family. The papers document the personal lives of a family whose experiences (with the notable exception of Diefenbaker's political career) were similar to that of many other Western Canadian families of the era. The nature of John Diefenbaker's relationship with his mother is well documented, as is that with his brother. Diefenbaker's letters to Elmer offer candid comments on issues and personalities, while the correspondence with his two wives is revealing of both the private and public sides of life with the politician and Prime Minister. The papers of Olive Diefenbaker demonstrate much about the official role of the Prime Minister's wife, and her own life as a public figure.
Available on microfilm reels M-7547 to M-7582.
