CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS : QUAKER AND MEMMONITE CHURCH RECORDS : ARCHIVES THAT HOLD RECORDS BESIDES NARA : CIVILIAN PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPS

09 August 2026

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS : QUAKER AND MEMMONITE CHURCH RECORDS : ARCHIVES THAT HOLD RECORDS BESIDES NARA : CIVILIAN PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPS

Please note that it always possible that other religious archives may hold documents regarding your CO ancestor than these two. A priest, minister, or other church authority may have been asked to give a reference or otherwise support the CO's petition. I would begin by finding out where the person was living (which could be on the draft registration) and what church they were a member of at the time and the appropriate archive for that location.

Also, if you have difficulty finding what you want on a website, give a phone call to the library or archive or persons on the contact information for the site.

HAVERFORD COLLEGE LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS : QUAKER CO's This collection's focus is the Quakers, the peace efforts of the church as a whole and the personal papers of individuals. Haverford College is in Haverford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

MENNONITE CHURCH USA ARCHIVES : Amish, Mennonite Located in North Newton, Harvey County, Kansas, this is a major archive for records of the Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren, CO's. It includes CIVILIAN PUBLIC SERVICE (CPS) records.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW : Previously I mentioned that some CO's SERVED IN THE MILITARY in NON-COMBAT ROLES and that could include work camps.

HOWEVER THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS WORKING FOR THE CIVILIAN PUBLIC SERVICE INSTEAD, meaning that person was never in the military and thus did not serve in the military. THIS SITE HAS A LINK TO TESTIMONIALS AND INFORMATION ON THE CAMPS AND WORK THERE FOR MEN AND VOLUNTEER WOMEN!

Excerpt: Civilian Public Service (CPS) was a program developed at the onset of WWII which provided those whose conscience forbade them to kill, the opportunity to do work of national importance under civilian direction rather than go to war. Nearly 12,000 men made this choice, and many women voluntarily joined the cause. They fought forest fires, worked in mental institutions, planted trees, did dairy testing and served as subjects for medical experiments in more than 150 camps scattered throughout the United States.