Sidney J. Stern was born in Wilson, NC in 1879 and married Flora Oettinger of Kinston, NC in 1910. The Sterns were active in civic affairs and religious life in Greensboro, where Sidney practiced law until his death in 1947. The materials in this collection primarily document Sidney J. Stern’s efforts to relocate family members and others living in Germany between 1936 and 1948 and to a lesser degree the Stern family’s life and activities in Greensboro, NC. Other materials in the collection include articles, newspaper clippings, and genealogical information on the Oettinger side of the family.

The materials in this collection primarily document Sidney J. Stern’s efforts to relocate family members and others living in Germany between 1936 and 1941 and, to a lesser degree, the Stern family’s life and activities in Greensboro (Guilford Co.), North Carolina. The approximately 245 letters related to the relocation of family members include requests for biographical information for visa applications and copies of affidavits of support sworn by Stern and other residents of Greensboro and North Carolina. Other materials in the collection include articles, newspaper clippings, and genealogical information on the Oettinger family of Kinston (Lenoir Co.), N.C.

Joseph L. Blumenstein (1914-1982) was a Jewish United States Army officer and merchant born in Berlin, Germany. The materials in this collection document Joseph L. Blumenstein's emigration from Germany in 1937, his efforts to rescue his parents from Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust, his service in the United States Army during World War II, and postwar family life in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The materials in this collection document Joseph L. Blumenstein's emigration from Nazi Germany and immigration to Czechoslovakia (1937) and the United States (1938) and his efforts to rescue parents Solomon and Fanny Blumenstein from Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust. The collection also contains documents related to Blumenstein's military service during World War II and his postwar family life in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Types of material include German school reports and references from employers, a Czech passport, affidavits of support, correspondence, and other immigration documents; military orders, rosters, and documents related to veterans' benefits; a photograph album with pictures of family members and soldiers; and a yearbook.