Kahdy and Wehbie Family Papers 1890s-2010s

The materials in this collection are primarily in English, with some in Arabic and French.

Mike Mettrey (Mikail Mitri) Wehbie was born in Mt. Lebanon on August 8, 1888. His wife, Mary Nehra Wehbie of the Saliba family, was born in Mt. Lebanon on January 25, 1896. Mike Wehbie's family immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. Mary immigrated later on in 1906. In the early 1920s, Mike, Mary, and their nine children moved to Bteghrine, Lebanon for three years, where the children attended a French school. Mike and Mary's children were Nell (Nellie) Mettrey Wehbie, William Mettrey, Helen Wehbie, Christmas Wehbie, Amelia Wehbie (Salem), Simon or Sam Wehbie, Margaret Wehbie (Saloom), Marie Wehbie (Mossberg), and Wehbie Mettrey Wehbie. After returning to the United States, the family moved from Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Raleigh, North Carolina. In Raleigh, Mike opened several businesses on Fayetteville Street, including the Log Cabin, which was a popular restaurant and tavern during World War II. 

Nell (Nellie) Mettrey Wehbie was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on April 30, 1916. She graduated From Meredith College in 1938 with a teaching degree and concentrations in English and Foreign Languages. George Kahdy was born in Baskinta, Lebanon on October 6, 1921. George and his parents, Adma Sawaya and Asaf (Assif) George Kahdy, immigrated to the United States when he was 18 months old. George had four sisters: Afifi (Adele), Genee (Janette), Sally, and Virginia. George was raised in Macon, Georgia and attended the Lanier School for Boys where he participated in ROTC. He spent one year at Georgia Tech before volunteering as a buck private in the 30th Infantry Division of the United States Army in 1940. George worked at Fort Jackson, South Carolina training draftees, became a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps, and taught graduate pilots gunnery and fighter tactics at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

In 1944, George met Nell Wehbie through his parents, who were friends of Mike and Mary. At the time, Nell was working as a high school teacher in Warsaw, North Carolina. She also worked for the Red Cross in Washington D.C., where she lived with her sister, Amelia, and Amelia's husband, Joe Salem. On July 9, 1944, Nell and George married at Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh. While George was stationed at Eglin, the couple lived in Milton, Florida. They had their first child, Barbara, on July 14, 1945. On January 16, 1948, they had twins George and Georgette.

The family moved to Knightsdale, North Carolina, where Nell acquired a teaching job and George attended Wake Forest University under the G.I. Bill. After graduating, George taught math and science at Needham Broughton High School, where Nell taught language courses. Nell was honored in the 1950s and 1960s by the American Foreign Language Association as one of the top high school teachers in the United States. While teaching, both Nell and George earned Master's degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1956, Nell received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Goethe Institute in Munich, Germany for the summer. Through the American Institute of Foreign Studies, she led students and teachers on trips to England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Spain for 25 summers. George served as principal of various schools for 13 years, including during the period of school integration. He went on to hold various governmental positions related to education. 

Nell passed away in July 2015 and George in September 2023. Barbara Kahdy Estes started a physical therapy practice in Atlanta before moving to the North Carolina mountains. George Kahdy Jr. became a veterinarian and founded a veterinary practice near Raleigh. Georgette Kahdy Stone taught French and Spanish and lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Kahdy and Wehbie Family Papers primarily relate to the lives of George Kahdy, Nellie Mettrey Wehbie Kahdy, and their three children, Barbara, George, and Georgette. The collection contains photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and other records related to the family and their achievements. The collection also includes images from a trip to Lebanon around 2010.

The materials in this collection are arranged chronologically.

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.

[Identification of item], Kahdy and Wehbie Family Papers, KC 0026, Hoda Z. Nassour and Herbert R. Nassour Jr., MD, Archive of Lebanese Diaspora

Kahdy and Wehbie Family Papers 1890s-2010s, KC 0026

Joseph and Thelma Knuckley Zaytoun Papers circa 1910s-2008, KC 0030

Amelia and Joseph Salem Papers circa 1919-2009, KC 0048

Gift of Barbara Kahdy Estes, 2015 February and 2019 (Accession Nos. 2015.009 and 2019.012).

Processed by Khayrallah Center staff. Finding aid content contributed by Barbara Kahdy Estes and updated by Allison Hall, 2023 December. Finding aid created by Allison Hall, 2023 December.