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.
