Title: Kellman Family Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1912-1943

Creator:

• Kellman Family

Call Number: WVM Mss 1291

Quantity: 1.3 linear ft. (3 archives boxes and 2 oversized folders) of papers, 0.5 linear ft. (1 archives box and 3 oversized folders) of photographs.

Repository:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Have questions? Contact the Reference Archivist

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)

See the catalog entry for current shelf locations and additions.

Abstract:

Correspondence, military papers, and photographs pertaining to Vilas, Forrest, and Norris Kellman, three brothers from Galesville, Wisconsin who served in the Army during World War I. Vilas was the only brother to be sent overseas and was stationed with the Headquarters Department of the 62nd Field Artillery Brigade. He arrived in France soon after the signing of the Armistice in 1918 and served as part of the occupation force for six months. Forrest and Norris were stationed in the United States during the war. Forrest served as part of the Students' Army Training Corps and was stationed in Indianapolis as a mechanic. Norris was trained as a lieutenant at College Station, Texas, but was never attached to a specific unit. The collection includes military papers, correspondence, a diary, newspaper articles, military ephemeral, photographs, and postcards. Most of the manuscripts are letters written between the three brothers while they were serving in the Army. They also individually corresponded with their parents, Frank and Lizzie, other relatives, and a few neighbors in Galesville. In the letters, the brothers ask questions about the whereabouts of friends who were also serving in the military, how they felt about life in the Army, and engaged in small talk about their family in Galesville. Vilas and Forrest also asked Norris about his training as an officer and congratulated him when he became the youngest lieutenant commissioned in 1918. The letters also convey concern over Vilas being sent overseas. In one letter from Forrest to Norris (August 4, 1918), Forrest expressed his concern over Vilas's well being and instructs Norris to write to Vilas often in order to “keep his sprits up.” In another letter to Norris (November 8, 1918), Forrest writes how he wished he was overseas with Vilas to keep him company. Concern over the Spanish influenza is also a major theme within the letters and is discussed between the brothers, their parents, and their neighbors. Norris and Forrest describe the number of cases at their respective bases and what preventative steps were taken to stop the spread of the disease. Letters from their parents and relatives discuss the severity of influenza outbreaks in Wisconsin and around Galesville. The letters written by Frank and Lizzie mainly discuss life at home and the health of relatives and neighbors. By the end of the war they frequently asked if there was any news about when the brothers would return home. The diary was kept by Vilas and records a few short entries during his time overseas. It also includes some training notes. Other manuscripts include draft registration for all three brothers, military records for Vilas and Norris, and a newspaper article about Norris being commissioned as a lieutenant. Also included are manuscripts pertaining to Norris's attempt to receive a commission in the Army during World War II. These include correspondence with various military departments, Forrest, and his father. There are also some materials pertaining to Norris's active participation in Wisconsin politics as a member of the Republican Party, and his service as Sergeant at Arms for the State Assembly. The still images consist of photographs and postcards collected by the brothers during their service. Photographs include images of all three brothers posing in uniform and a few images taken after the war. Other photographs pertain to Norris and include images of him posing with family members, fellow soldiers, images taken at his graduation and commission, and buildings around College Station. Postcards include those collected by Vilas while in France, Camp Zachary Taylor (Kentucky), and Newport News (Virginia).There is also an interesting collection of postcards showing U. S. Navy battleships, and a series showing sailors on an unidentified Navy warship.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss01291

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Vilas Alfred Kellman was born on December 7, 1893 in Galesville, Wisconsin. He worked in his grandfather's hardware store prior to his enlistment in the Army on June 15, 1918. Vilas trained at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky before being sent to Newport News, Virginia in preparation for overseas deployment. He departed for France on November 11, 1918 and arrived in Europe to serve as part of the occupation force. Vilas was attached to the Headquarters Department of the 62nd Field Artillery Brigade and was stationed in Europe for six months. After his discharge on April 16, 1919, Vilas returned to Galesville where he worked in the insurance business with his two brothers, Forrest and Norris. He eventually became the postmaster in Galesville, but later moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work for the State Office Building Commission. Vilas died in Madison in 1966.

Forrest Thompson Kellman was born on March 9, 1897 in Galesville, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Army on August 14, 1918 and was stationed in Indianapolis with the Students' Army Training Corps. While in Indianapolis, he was stationed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and trained as a mechanic. After his discharge on December 8, 1918, Forrest returned to Galesville and became an insurance salesman. He eventually moved to Madison where he worked for the Office of Assembly Chief Clerks. Forrest married Gertrude Bartlett in 1924 and had a son named William Kellman. Forrest died in Madison in 1968.

Norris John Kellman was born on October 23, 1898 in Galesville, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Army on August 16, 1918 and was trained as an officer at College Station, Texas. He was commissioned as the youngest lieutenant later that same year, but was never attached to a specific unit. After he was discharged on December 23, 1918, he returned to Galesville and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Norris became an insurance salesman after graduation and became an active member in the Republican Party. He also served as the Sergeant at Arms for the State Assembly for 26 years. During World War II, he sought a commission as a lieutenant in the Army, but was ultimately denied due to his age. Norris married Lucille White in 1941 and died in Madison in 1993.

The Kellman Family Collection is organized into three series: World War I, World War II, and Still Images.

World War I (1912-1920) pertains to the manuscripts documenting the World War I service of Vilas, Forrest, and Norris in the Army. Correspondence between the brothers, family members, and neighbors from Galesville forms the bulk of the collection. The letters have been arranged around five primary authors: Vilas, Forrest, Norris, and their parents, Frank and Lizzie. Notes provided by the donor are also included with the letters. The notes provide background on relatives and friends, and highlight important points in letters. The diary was kept by Vilas and only includes a few entries from his time serving overseas. The entries begin just prior to his departure for France in October, 1918. Training notes, including charts and sketches of tactical maneuvers, are also included in the diary.

World War II (1942-1943) includes manuscripts pertaining to Norris's attempt to get a commission in the Army. There is correspondence between Norris and various military offices about him receiving a commission. There are also letters written by Forrest and Frank concerning Norris's commission, letters of recommendation from Wisconsin organizations, and several official request forms. Also included are documents pertaining to Norris's political work in Wisconsin during the war and a stamp ration book.

Still Images (1918-1940) are divided into photographs and postcards. Most of the photographs are of the brothers posing in their uniforms. The majority of the other photographs pertain to Norris and were taken while he was at College Station. There are also a few images of Norris after the war and one image of him taken in 1940. The postcards appear to have been collected mainly by Vilas, since most of them are of places where he would have been stationed. There are a series of postcards from Indianapolis that would have been purchased by Forrest. There is no indication as to which brother collected the postcards of Navy vessels and sailors. However, they were more than likely collected by Vilas since he was stationed at Newport News prior to being shipped to France.

Acquisition Information

Presented by William and Marianne Kellman, Madison, WI, 2006-2009. Accession Number: Mss 2006.490, Mss 2008.133, Mss 2009.38..

Processing Information

Processed by Andrew J. Baraniak in 2009.

	Series: World War I
Box   1 Folder   1	Diary, Vilas, 1918-1919
	Subseries: Ephemeral	⇧
Box   1 Folder   2	King George Letter, 1918
Box   1 Folder   3	Invitation, Officer's Reception and Dance, 1918
Box   1 Folder   4	Military Cards and Identification, 1918
Box   1 Folder   5	Pershing Memo, War Risk Insurance, 1918
Box   1 Folder   6	Song, Crawfis' Motor Men, 1918
Box   1 Folder   7	Wartime Work Applications, Frank and Lizzie, 1918
Box   1 Folder   8	Veteran Banquet Invitation, Forrest, 1918
	Subseries: Letters	⇧
	Frank Kellman
Box   1 Folder   9	To Forrest, 1918
Box   1 Folder   10-13	To Norris, 1918
Box   1 Folder   14-15	To Vilas, 1918-1919
Box   1 Folder   16	From Friends and Family, 1918-1919
Box   1 Folder   17-19	Notes
	Forrest Kellman
Box   1 Folder   20	To Norris, 1918
Box   1 Folder   21-23	To Parents, 1918
Box   1 Folder   24	From Gailesville Neighbors, 1918
Box   1 Folder   25	From Relatives, 1918
Box   1 Folder   26-28	Notes
	Lizzie Kellman
Box   1 Folder   29	To Forrest, 1918
Box   1 Folder   30	To Norris, 1918
Box   1 Folder   31	To Vilas, 1918
Box   1 Folder   32	From Friends and Family, 1918
Box   1 Folder   33-35	Notes
	Norris Kellman
Box   2 Folder   1	To Frank, 1918-1919
Box   2 Folder   2	To Forrest, 1918
Box   2 Folder   3	To Friends, 1918
Box   2 Folder   4	To Lizzie, 1918-1919
Box   2 Folder   5-7	To Parents, 1918-1919
Box   2 Folder   8	To Relatives, 1918
Box   2 Folder   9	To Vilas, 1918
Box   2 Folder   10	From Clarence King, 1918
Box   2 Folder   11	From Friends, 1912
Box   2 Folder   12-13	From Gailsville Neighbors, 1918
Box   2 Folder   14	From Guy Carlson, 1918
Box   2 Folder   15	From Relatives, 1918
Box   2 Folder   16-19	Notes
	Vilas Kellman
Box   2 Folder   20-24	To Frank, 1918-1919
Box   2 Folder   25-26	To Forrest, 1918-1919
Box   2 Folder   27	To Grandparents, 1918
Box   2 Folder   28-29	To Lizzie, 1918-1919
Box   3 Folder   1-3	To Norris, 1918-1919
Box   3 Folder   4-5	To Parents, 1918
Box   3 Folder   6	From Friends, 1918-1920
Box   3 Folder   7	From Guy Carlson, 1918-1919
Box   3 Folder   8-12	Notes
Box   3 Folder   13	Newspaper Article, Norris Commission, 1918
	Subseries: Military Papers	⇧
Box   3 Folder   14	Discharge, Vilas, 1919
Box   3 Folder   15-17	Draft Registrations, Forrest, Norris, Vilas, 1918
Box   3 Folder   18	Notification of Departure, Vilas, 1918
Box   3 Folder   19	Service Records, Norris, 1918
Box   3 Folder   20	Training Certificate, Norris, 1918
	Series: World War II	⇧
	Subseries: Correspondence
Box   3 Folder   21	Frank Kellman, 1942
	Forrest Kellman
Box   3 Folder   22	To Norris, 1942
Box   3 Folder   23	From Friends, 1942
Box   3 Folder   24	Norris Kellman, 1942
Box   3 Folder   25	Military Branches, 1942
Box   3 Folder   26	Office of Price Administration, 1942
Box   3 Folder   27	Selective Service, 1942
Box   3 Folder   28	St. John's Military Academy, 1942
Box   3 Folder   29	Transportation Corps, 1942
Box   3 Folder   30	War Department, 1942
Box   3 Folder   31	Wisconsin Adjutant General's Office, 1942
Box   3 Folder   32	Military Commission Forms, 1942
Box   3 Folder   33	Newspaper Articles, 1944
Ov   27 Folder   11	U.S.S. Wisconsin Silver Service, 1943
Ov   28 Folder   9	Wisconsin Goes to War, 1943
Box   3 Folder   34	Political Flyer, Norris, 1943
Box   3 Folder   34	Political Dinner Menu, 1943
Box   3 Folder   35	War Ration Stamps, 1943
	Series: Still Images	⇧
	Subseries: Photographs
Box   4 Folder   1	Forrest Kellman [3] , 1918
PhOv   49 Folder   3	Forrest Kellman [1] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   2-3	Norris Kellman [18] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   4	Army Portraits [3] , 1918
PhOv   49 Folder   4	Army Portraits [1] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   5	College Station [6] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   6	Graduation [4] , 1918
PhOv   27 Folder   2	Oversized [2] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   7-8	Posing with Family [15] , 1919-1924
Box   4 Folder   9	Posing with Soldiers [12] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   10	Postwar [2] , 1921, 1940
Box   4 Folder   11	Vilas Kellman [3] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   12	with Family [10] , 1917-1918
Box   4 Folder   13	War End Celebration, Galesville [1]
PhOv   27 Folder   3-4	Oversized [1] , 1918
	Subseries: Postcards	⇧
	Places
Box   4 Folder   14	French Towns [4] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   15	Chateau-Gontier [12] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   16	Tours [8] , circa 1918
	United States
Box   4 Folder   17-18	Camp Zachary Taylor [40] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   19	Kentucky [18] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   20	Indianapolis [20] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   21	Norfolk [22] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   22	Statue of Liberty [1] , circa 1918
	Servicemen and Equipment
Box   4 Folder   23	Airship [1] , circa 1918
Box   4 Folder   24	Navy Sailors [9] , 1918
Box   4 Folder   25	U.S. Battleships [13] , 1918