Born in Kentucky, William R. “Russ” Blan (1918-1977), Blan worked 22 years in warehouse division of John Deere Implement Co near Bloomington. Later he served as a custodian for Unit 5 School. He wed Helen Ruth Scott in 1950 in Clinton and the couple reared son Tom and daughter Bonnie (later Scheffert).
Blan served from May 1941 to Jun 1945 in 95th Coast Artillery of the US Army.
The collection includes Blan’s photo albums and scrapbooks with a particular emphasis on his World War II service in the Coast Artillery.