Series: Personal papers, 1847-1973
Arrangement of the Materials: Arranged into five subseries: Stratman-Thomas Family papers, genealogy research, correspondence, memorabilia, and school papers.
Scope and Content Note

Papers documenting the Stratman and Thomas Families include a few Stratman Family papers, primarily newspaper clippings documenting activities of Stratman-Thomas’s maternal grandfather and great-uncle. The papers of Stratman-Thomas’s parents, Warren H. and Helena Emma (née Stratman) Thomas include correspondence consisting almost entirely of letters written by Warren to Emma, extending from just after their initial meeting up until a month before their wedding; as well as few items such as Emma’s passport, an invitation to their wedding, and newspaper obituaries for both. The E.S. [Edward Shepherd] Thomas compositions were written by Stratman-Thomas’s paternal uncle. Included are complete sets of manuscript parts for several of his band compositions, primarily marches, as well as miscellaneous parts for those and other compositions. The Warren K. Stratman-Thomas material includes the army discharge papers and 1928 passport of Stratman-Thomas’s brother. Newspaper clippings document a few activities of various extended family members, and include obituaries for Helene and for her brother. The photographs are generally without attribution, but appear to be primarily of family and friends, as well as homes, other local buildings, and tombstones that may have family connections; some may be relevant to Stratman-Thomas’s Cornish folklore research as well.

Genealogical materials include correspondence primarily received from family members and official bodies, generally addressed to Warren; only the later correspondence is addressed to Stratman-Thomas herself. The correspondence with Pierre Haynes in particular deals exclusively with the history of the Kidwell branch of the family. General research consists primarily of Stratman-Thomas’s research notes and a Stratman family tree that she constructed. Thomas Family research includes information on E.S. Thomas’s tours under his stage name, “La Xenia,” from 1879-1888; as well a great deal of material on Johnathan Kidwell and other members of the Kidwell branch of the Thomas family. Also present are materials relating to Stratman-Thomas’s application to and membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as several slightly annotated copies of that organization’s magazine.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters received by Stratman-Thomas, organized chronologically. Through 1937, the majority of the correspondence is from her brother, Warren, although there are also letters from her father during this period, as well as a spate of correspondence between her father and brother during her brother’s residence in the Belgian Congo. Beginning in 1942 there is correspondence from other family members and friends, as well as from former UW students and faculty. Some of this later correspondence is addressed to Stratman-Thomas and her brother; and later, to Stratman-Thomas and her husband, Ambrose “Pat” Blotz.

Among the memorabilia are a few miscellaneous documents and notebooks. The two leather-bound notebooks are of uncertain origin; they date from the mid-19th century and are perhaps from Dodgeville. Also included are children’s drawings and other memorabilia. At least some of this material is the work of Stratman-Thomas’s brother Warren. There are also two scrapbooks that incorporate primarily photographs, news clippings, magazine articles, and concert programs. Some of this material represents performances in which Stratman-Thomas herself participated; one of the scrapbooks also contains clippings about Stratman-Thomas’s brother Warren’s Guggenheim Fellowship trip to the Belgian Congo.

Stratman-Thomas’s school papers include a small quantity of school notebooks and memorabilia, mostly from her days at Dodgeville High School, but in some cases from before that time. The remaining papers relate to her education at the University of Wisconsin and include class notes and exercises from a music survey course, as well as courses in harmony, counterpoint, and form and analysis; the first three of these courses were taken through UW-Extension while Stratman-Thomas was living in Minneapolis. There is some uncertainty as to whether some of the lecture notes belonged to Charles Mills or were notes that Stratman-Thomas took while enrolled in his classes. Also present is her 1929 bachelor’s thesis, “A survey of the development of song”; and her 1930 master’s thesis, “The influence of François Couperin, le Grand, upon Johann Sebastian Bach,” together with research materials and notes. Finally, there are graduation programs from 1919, when Stratman-Thomas graduated with a B.A. in Commerce; and from 1930, when she received her M.A.

Subseries: Stratman-Thomas Family papers

Stratman Family, 1879-1952; undated

Warren H. and Helena Emma (née Stratman) Thomas

Correspondence, 1892-1893; undated

General, 1888-1930; undated

E.S. [Edward Shepherd] Thomas compositions, undated

Marches, “La cascada” and “Last effort”

“Midwinter International Exposition march”

March, “Salute to Maryville”

March, “The Swedish Patrol”

“Danzon, la España”

Miscellaneous parts

Warren K. Stratman-Thomas, 1918-1928; undated

Newspaper clippings, 1928-1973; undated

Photographs, 1942-1963; undated

Subseries: Genealogy research

Correspondence

General

1923-1964

Undated

Pierre Haynes, 1929-1950

General research, undated

Index cards, undated

Thomas Family research

General, circa 1910-1946; undated

Kidwell branch, 1929-1957; undated

Index cards, undated

Book owned by Johnathan Kidwell, 1847

Daughters of the American Revolution

Papers, 1937-1946

Magazines, Daughters of the American Revolution

1963

1964

Subseries: Correspondence

General

1919-October 1930

November 1930-December 1937

December 1942-July 1972; undated

Erich Mayer, 1946-1966

Subseries: Memorabilia

Miscellaneous documents and notebooks, 1862-1875; undated

Children’s drawings and other memorabilia, 1901-1930; undated

Scrapbooks

1922-1934

1923-1927

Subseries: School papers

School notebooks and memorabilia, 1904-1911; undated

University of Wisconsin

Class notes and exercises

Harmony, 1927-1928

Elementary counterpoint, 1928

Music survey, 1928

Music survey, 1928

Form and analysis, 1929

Bachelor's thesis, "A survey of the development of song," 1929

Master's thesis

Research note cards, undated

Research notes and materials, undated

Thesis draft, manuscript, undated

Thesis, typescript, "The influence of François Couperin, le Grand, upon Johann Sebastian Bach,” 1930

Graduation programs, 1919, , 1930