Susanne (Barnett) Strouvelle 

Susanne (Barnett) Strouvelle 

(05/05/1879-11/29/1974) 

Muscogee (Creek) Nation  

Cussetah Tribal Town

By Abby Rush, (TU MA Class of 2024) 

Early History 

Susanne Barnett was born Tayetske Hayecuce, which translates to "a little composer who really makes music" in the Mvskoke language. She was born in Indian Territory on May 5, 1879 to Petoche and Nancy Barnett, both of whom were Mvskoke. The Reverend Duncan Burns, a great grandson of Susanne, explained that “her family were lower Creeks and traveled West with Chief McIntosh’s descendants before 1831. They settled in Okmulgee.”1 

Susanne’s parents died when she was a child. Her father reportedly perished in the Green Peach War, and her mother died shortly after she was widowed. An 1889 article in The Daily Herald reported that Susanne’s mother “brought the little girl to Miss Alice Robertson” and expressed hopes that Robertson would adopt her.2 Robertson did indeed adopt Susanne c. 1885, following the loss of both parents. At that time Susanne was six years old.3 

School 

Once she moved to her new home with Alice Robertson in Muskogee, Susanne began attending The Presbyterian School for Indian Girls (PSIG). Alice Robertson became the head of PSIG in 1885. In 1887, as the school progressed, the demand for more resources increased. As a result, Alice’s cousin Loring Andrews Robertson agreed to fund the construction of a new building for the school, which upon completion was called Minerva Home in honor of Loring’s deceased sister Minerva Robertson. Guy William Logsdon writes, “the new home allowed the school to expand to accommodate thirty-five resident students.”4  

While at PSIG, Susanne performed in a closing concert for the graduating class of 1889. In the first portion of this closing program, dated June 5, 1889, a few students performed a hymn called “Sweet and Low, Sweet and Low,” composed by Joseph Barnby. Among those students was Susanne Barnett, then ten years old, and another adopted daughter of Alice Robertson, Ella Harvison (1875-1961). The two of them were raised together and appear together in this concert. 

Adult Life 

Susanne was an accomplished composer, pianist, and organist by her early adulthood, well known especially as a composer and pianist. She was a founding member of the Hyechka (Hvechka) Club, an entity established in 1904 and still in operation today. According to the Club’s current website, the Tulsa based Hyechka Club “was created by ten musically trained women with the mission of promoting the musical arts and self-improvement.”10 In the Mvskoke language, Hyechka (Hvechka) means “music.” In The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Fred S. Clinton listed the individuals who constituted the charter members of The Hyechka Club, including Susanne as “Mrs. C. E. Strouvelle.”11. The Hyechka Club is Oklahoma’s oldest music club and has been known as one of the most important entities in “building the musical soul of Tulsa.”12 

On December 31, 1901, when she would have been twenty-two years old, Susanne married Charles Edward Strouvelle (11/12/1872) at the First Presbyterian Church in Muskogee. According to a transcription by Connie Ardrey, the couple met when Charles was sent “to assume charge of the station at Wetumka, now one of the thriving towns of Hughes County, Oklahoma. He took the position of station agent and telegraph operator in the year 1900, and he reverts with special pleasure and gratitude to this incumbency, since through the same he was fortunate in meeting the gracious young gentlewoman who is now his wife.”13  

Charles, twenty-eight years old at his wedding, was a man of European descent who was born in Livingston County, Missouri, being one of seven children. Connie Ardrey reported, “He duly availed himself of the advantages of the public schools and upon leaving the home farm he promptly entered upon a practical apprenticeship to learn the art and trade of telegraphy, this discipline having been obtained by him in the station and office of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at Braymer, Caldwell County, Missouri.” Ardrey’s transcription also notes, “His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and he is prominently identified with representative social and fraternal organizations.” A few of the organizations with which Charles was affiliated include Tulsa Lodge, No. 926, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Tulsa Lodge, No. 71, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.14  

The wedding of Susanne Barnett and Charles Strouvelle was a momentous social occasion. A Muskogee Evening Times article described the event, noting that “The bride, Miss Susanne Barnett, was given away by her adopted mother, Miss Alice Robertson.” This same article also observed of the couple: “The Bride is a graduate of Kendall College, ’00. The groom is station agent at Wetumka. Both are very popular. The wedding was a social event in Muskogee, where both bride and groom are well known and have a large circle of friends.” The ceremony was performed by Rev. A. Grant Evans and the wedding reception was held at Robertson studio.15 Another article published a few days before the wedding described Susanne as a “popular and talented young woman.”16 Both press accounts of the wedding fit within a broader picture of Susanne, substantiated by many documents, as a beloved socialite who was well liked by the community. 

Susanne’s husband, Charles Strouvelle, was involved in the oil and gas industry, and he held various notable occupations over the years such as being the general manager of the Savoy Oil Company. Among his other titles and career endeavors, he was the first telegraph operator of the Sante Fe Railroad.17  

At the time of their marriage, Charles had been assigned to work for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad in Tulsa, and so that is where the couple settled. He and Susanne eventually built a house in the Swan Lake district of Tulsa. Throughout her adult life, Susanne remained a popular individual in the social scene of Tulsa, and she was “considered by many to be one of the most gifted musicians in Tulsa.”18 She lived in various places throughout her lifetime, including Paris, New York City, Galveston, TX, and others. 

Susanne and Charles had four children: Edward Charles Jr. (1902-1958), Alice Kendall (1904-1965), Anna Isabelle (1907-1997) and Jane Clinton (1909-1945).19 Alice Kendall was named after Alice Robertson and Henry Kendall (1815 – 1892), the Presbyterian minister after whom Kendall College was named. Jonita Mullins noted in the Muskogee Phoenix that Susanne’s children inherited their mother’s gift and affinity for music.20   

When Susanne’s husband Charles died in 1923, she and her four children moved from Tulsa to Brooklyn, New York, where she continued to play an active role in various cultural events for Native people. Barbara Kantrowitz wrote in an obituary for Susanne, “In 1929, Mrs. Strouvelle went to Paris for two years and then moved back to New York where she continued to work as a composer for organ and piano.” Many years later, in 1950, when Susanne was 70 years old, she moved to the Southwest United States and served as a Red Cross volunteer. Then, in 1968, she moved back to New York to live with one of her daughters.21 

Death and Legacy 

Throughout her lifetime Susanne showcased her ambition in the many endeavors she undertook, from her academic achievements to her role as a beloved musician and composer, community leader, and much more. She was regarded widely as a woman of great talent, faith, and beauty of every sort. Her pride in her Mvskoke heritage is reflected in the presence of her culture in her compositions, community projects, and other aspects of her life. Of the many enduring parts of her legacy, the Hyechka Club is an aspect of her career that continues to thrive to this day. 

Susanne (Barnett) Strouvelle died at the age of 95 in New Hyde Park, New York on November 29, 1974. Her remains were buried at Rose Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.22 At the time of her death, she was survived by her daughter Anne Isabelle, grandchildren including Susanne Burns, Emily Hedberg, Frederick Knopfke, as well as their children and several great grandchildren. Susanne’s descendants continue to hold on to the many stories and lasting lessons that she taught her family over the years.  

Tribal Enrollment Information: 

In 1899, before her graduation from Henry Kendall College, Susanne was enrolled with the Dawes Commission and was the first enrollee for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The enrollment card pictured lists her as the ward of Alice Robertson. According to a Muskogee Phoenix article, Susanne was nineteen at the time of her enrollment and she subsequently decided on an allotment west of present-day Taft, Oklahoma near a little community called Ridge.23 

Creek Nation (Dawes Roll) Enrollment Card: 1    

Enrollment Number: 1 

Card Number: 1 

Enrollment Date: March 29, 1899  

Acknowledgment 

Living descendants include the Rev. Duncan Burns and his daughter Lauren Burns Bennett. Rev. Duncan Burns is the grandson of Susanne (Barnett) Strouvelle’s daughter, Anne Isabelle Strouvelle, also referred to as “Chic” and known affectionately as "Lala" by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren for her musical aptitude around the house. We express our immense appreciation to Duncan and Lauren for their help with the research for Susanne’s biography and the PSIG Project and their willingness to talk to the PSIG Project research team. Both Lauren and Duncan have dedicated significant time and energy to their research, visiting McFarlin’s Special Collections many times. We thank them for consulting with our research team, sharing documents with us, and providing treasured insights into the history of their ancestor, Susanne (Barnett) Strouvelle. 

Endnotes  

1 Duncan Burns, interview by Abby Rush, February 19, 2024, over Zoom.  

2 “Barnett Susanne, Daughter of Petoche Barnett, he passed in Sparhecher War,” The Daily Herald, July 29, 1899, Newspapers.com, Accessed April 1, 2024,  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-barnett-susanne-daught/51784486/. 

3 “Private Funeral for Strouvelle,” Tulsa Daily World, July 23, 1923, Vol. XVII edition, sec. No. 295, Newspapers.com, Accessed March 15, 2024,  https://www.newspapers.com/image/901261827/.  

4 Guy William Logsdon, The University of Tulsa (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977), 27. 

5 Jonita Mullins, “How One Girl Made City History,” Muskogeephoenix.Com, March 27, 2010, https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archives/how-one-girl-made-city-history/article_124314b6-251b-558c-a9d2-44d3d9b20ddb.html. 

6 Connie Ardrey, “SStrouvelle[1].Txt, USGenweb,” October 12, 1998. 

7 “Obituary for Suzanne Strouvelle Newsday (Suffolk Edition), October 19, 1974, Newspapers.com, Accessed March 15, 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-suffolk-edition-obituary-for-s/125961170/. 

8 “Spring Festival of Music, Oklahoma State Federation of Music Clubs,” Tulsa, OK, Tulsa, 1922.  

9 Henry Hadley, National Association for American Composers and Conductors, Thirty-Sixth Year 1968-1969 (New York, N.Y.: National Association for American Composers and Conductors, INC., 1969). 

10 Hyechka Club of Tulsa, “History,” in Hyechka Club of Tulsa (Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Hyechka Club, 2024), https://www.hyechka.org/history.html. 

11 Fred S. Clinton, “The Hyechka Club, The Chronicles of Oklahoma,” hyechka.org, accessed March 7, 2024, https://www.hyechka.org/v021p351.pdf.  

12  Danna Sue Walker, “Hyechka Club to Honor Three Area Musicians,” Tulsa World, March 24, 1992, p. 3.  

13 Ardrey, “SStrouvelle.” 

14 Ardrey, “SStrouvelle.” 

15 John B. Kessler, “A Pretty New Year Wedding,” Muskogee Evening Times, January 2, 1902, Newspapers.com, Accessed March 14, 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/image/611271458/?terms=%22susanne%20barnett%22&match=1. 

16 “Strouvelle-Barnett Wedding,” Muskogee Evening Times, December 26, 1901, Newspapers.com, Accessed March 14, 2024, https://www.newspapers.com/image/611271392/?terms=%22susanne%20barnett%22&match=1. 

17 "Obituary for Suzanne Strouvelle.” 

18  Jonita Mullins, “Three Forks History: Mother Credited with Daughter’s Success,” Muskogeephoenix.Com, May 8, 2022, Accessed March 13, 2024,  https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-mother-credited-with-daughter-s-success/article_19e126a1-60b5-5ec3-acb0-2afcf1e7754e.html. 

19 “Susanne Barnett, FamilySearch Tree,” United States, May 3, 2023, Accessed March 15, 2024, [https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KLS3-XG3] 

20 Mullins, “Three Forks History.” 

21 "Obituary for Suzanne Strouvelle.” 

22 Arlen Gregory, “Rose Hill Memorial Park Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Susanne B. Strouvelle,” (Tulsa: Rose Hill Memorial Park Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, n.d.). 

23 National Archives, Ancestry, Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/262815; Mullins, “Three Forks History.” 

Bibliography 

Ardrey, Connie. “SStrouvelle[1].Txt, USGenweb,” October 12, 1998.  

“Barnett Susanne, daughter of Petoche Barnett, he passed in Sparhecher War.” The Daily Herald, July 29, 1899.  Newspapers.com.  

Burns, Duncan, Interviewed by Abby Rush, February 19, 2024, Zoom.   

Clinton, Fred S. “The Hyechka Club, The Chronicles of Oklahoma.” hyechka.org.  

Gregory, Arlen. “Rose Hill Memorial Park Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Susanne B. Strouvelle.” Tulsa: Rose Hill Memorial Park Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, n.d.  

Hadley, Henry. National Association for American Composers and Conductors, Thirty-Sixth Year 1968-1969. New York, N.Y.: National Association for American Composers and Conductors, INC., 1969. 

Hyechka Club of Tulsa. “History.” In Hyechka Club of Tulsa. Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Hyechka Club, 2024. https://www.hyechka.org/history.html.  

“Indian Girls Who Were The First Allottees.” Muskogee Times-Democrat. April 25, 1906. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/586150475/?terms=allottees%20strouvelle&match=1.  

Kessler, John B. “A Pretty New Year Wedding.” Muskogee Evening Times. January 2, 1902. Newspapers.com.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/611271458/?terms=%22susanne%20barnett%22&match=1.  

Logsdon, Guy William. The University of Tulsa: A History, 1882-1972. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977. 

Mullins, Jonita. “How One Girl Made City History.” Muskogeephoenix.Com, March 27, 2010. https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archives/how-one-girl-made-city-history/article_124314b6-251b-558c-a9d2-44d3d9b20ddb.html.  

Mullins, Jonita. “Three Forks History: Mother Credited with Daughter’s Success.” Muskogeephoenix.Com. May 8, 2022. https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-mother-credited-with-daughter-s-success/article_19e126a1-60b5-5ec3-acb0-2afcf1e7754e.html.  

National Archives. Ancestry, Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes,  

1898-1914. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/262815.  

“Obituary for Suzanne Strouvelle Margaret Strouvelle.” Newsday (Suffolk Edition). October 19, 1974. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-suffolk-edition-obituary-for-s/125961170/. 

 “Private Funeral for Strouvelle.” Tulsa Daily World. July 23, 1923, Vol. XVII edition, sec. No. 295. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/901261827/.  

 “Strouvelle-Barnett Wedding.” Muskogee Evening Times. December 26, 1901. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/611271392/?terms=%22susanne%20barnett%22&match=1.  

“Susanne Barnett, FamilySearch Tree.” United States, May 3, 2023. A service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

Walker, Danna Sue. “Hyechka Club to Honor Three Area Musicians.” Tulsa World. March 24, 1992. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/892903552/?terms=hyechka.