Edward and Callie Saleeby Papers

Autobiography

Emigration and immigration

Lebanese--United States

Biographical/Historical Note

Callie R. Stanley married Elijah Saleeby in the mid-nineteenth century. Elijah's parents were Rasheed Asaad Tannous Saleeby and Labibee Courie Saleeby. The family lived in Souk el Gharb, Lebanon. In Callie's oral history she describes her early life and how she came to marry Eli, as well as what it was like to be married into the Saleeby family. Callie has written multiple histories of the Saleeba/Saleeby family, including Worldwide Saleeby-Saliba Family from Ancient to Modern Times, published in 2008. The book was an update of N.D. Saleeby's A Brief History of the Saleeby/Saliba Clan and Their Branches, published in 1950.

Edward Saleeby's father, Nasry Rashid "Charlie" Saleeby (an elder brother of Elijah Saleeby), was born in Lebanon in 1892. He came to America with most of his siblings and his mother, Labibee, in 1912. Edward's mother, Nellie Arab, was born in 1896 and immigrated in 1911 with her brother Alex. Edward was born in Wilson, NC in 1921. His autobiography outlines his parents coming to America and the family's life from there on as well as his recollections of his military service during World War II. After the war, Edward married Elva Matney and they had three children: Gary, Douglas, and Anne Marie.

The Saleeby-Saliba Relief Association was created in 1916 with the objective of unifying and supporting members of the Saleeby-Saliba family across the Lebanese diaspora. The association sponsored members who emigrated from Syria and Lebanon, aiding them in their transitions to new countries. The association (now called the Saleeby-Saliba Association of Families) focuses on preserving family history and culture, especially through genealogy.

Scope/Content Note

This collection contains three autobiographical accounts of members of the North Carolina branch of the Saleeby-Saliba Family, including oral history and written testimony. Edward Saleeby's autobiographical account details his immediate and extended family as well has his military service during World War II. A shorter account outlines the immigration of Rasheed Asaad Tannous Saleeby and Labibee Courie Saleeby and their children. Callie R. Stanley Saleeby's account details her marriage to Eli and her writing of the family's diasporic history.

The collection represents inter-generational experiences of members of the Saleeby family in North Carolina. The subjects are descended, by blood or marriage, from the same Saleeby ancestor who lived in Souk-el-Gharb in modern-day Lebanon.

Edward Saleeby

Callie Stanley Saleeby

Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies

2001-2013

Processed by Khayrallah Center staff. Collection Guide content contributed by Claire A. Kempa and updated by Allison Hall, 2023 December.

Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2024 April.

The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.

English

KC 0047