A Guide to the Hicks Family Papers, 1922-2002

Biographical Note

Lesli Louise Hicks was born on January 16, 1963 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She grew up in a subdivision in a small community of Northwest San Antonio. She was raised in a religious home and attended Hope Lutheran Church. Ms. Hicks was very active in high school with her participation in a German Club, and also won Miss Leon Valley. Her father, Edward Ross Hicks, an Army Lt. Colonel, was stationed in Europe for five years along with the family. Because of her time spent in Europe, Lesli could speak some Dutch and understood German well, which helped her in her German Club in high school. Ms. Hicks graduated from high school in 1981. In January of 1982, she began college at the University of Texas at San Antonio, later transferring to the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1983. Ms. Hicks graduated from UT Austin in 1986 with a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts with emphasis in government and a minor in journalism. She married in 1988 and adopted a 10-month-old child from China in February of 2000.

Martha Carolyn Schultz Hicks, Lesli Hicks's mother, was a "stay at home mom" who participated as a Girl Scout Troop leader for a while. Martha Hicks obtained an associate's degree from San Antonio College and went back to school during the 1970s at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She received a degree in Sociology in 1979 and went on to get her master's degree in Public Administration.

J.R. Beane, Lesli's husband's maternal grandmother, grew up in the first quarter of the 20th century. Mrs. Beane was very interested in learning how to sew. She completed a correspondence course, which included tailoring, sewing, and dressmaking and stayed in constant contact with her instructors.

Adelaide Woodlee was Ms. Hicks's great, great-grandmother. She was born in 1864 and traveled with her family to Texas shortly thereafter. Ms. Woodlee died in 1960 at the age of 96.

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Scope and Contents

The Hicks Family Papers consist of items from four women including Lesli Hicks. The material for the three other women belonged to Martha Hicks, Mrs. J.R. Beane, and Adelaide Woodlee. The first series, Lesli Hicks, is composed primarily of correspondence. Most of the correspondence is between Lesli and her friends during her school years in the 1970s. There are more letters between some friends rather than others, especially Molly, Margaret, Denise, and Lesli's godparents Aunt Marilynn and Uncle Bob. Lesli looked to her Aunt for advice and help with many problems she had. Lesli wrote poetry in addition to letters. There is also a series of family correspondence, which deals with family problems including issues with Lesli's father for which the family sought counseling.

The collection also includes photographs, including documentation of a Girl Scout camping trip. Lesli retained several mementos, doodles and reports from her school years. The papers also include a completed application for the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program.

The second series,from Martha Hicks, contains only one letter, which is from Cyndi Taylor Krier thanking Martha for an invitation to meet another woman.

The third series, from J.R. Beane, consists of correspondence course materials and a book. The correspondence course is from the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences from the 1920s. There are several exam sheets, workbooks, and envelopes used for this course. Included with the material are samples of fabric stitches and seams she was working on, reference information, and an oversize Box of patterns.

The final series is on Adelaide Woodlee. The audiocassette is a copy of a reel-to-reel oral history of Adelaide Woodlee's travels to Texas. Adelaide speaks about the Civil War, the hard journey, and her father through most of it. The original recording was done in 1941. There is a typed transcript. During the latter part of the tape there is an abrupt interruption of Adelaide's account, followed by a group of unidentified young people discussing the war in Europe, summer plans, and a song.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Usage Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Hicks Family Papers must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Hicks Family Papers, 1922-2002, MS 133, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Lesli Hicks in 2004 (Acc. 2004-040).

Processing Information

Processed by Michelle Mark, April 2005.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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