09-25-2007
( Reply#: 1733 ) |
seejay2 |
Hi Marie!
I was in the band 66-67 and definitely remember Mr & Mrs. Melton; don't forget Glenda Benjamin. More on this tomorrow.........Cj |
09-25-2007
( Reply#: 1734 ) |
wvcogs |
Hello Marie,
Here's another former member of the Morton band from 1956 to 1960. I also attended the same church as you did where your dad was the music director.
SVEA, another member of this forum, was the oboe player in our band.
I communicate occasionally with Lynda and Ray in Hot Springs. Ray still plays in the band your dad started there.
It's great to hear from you.[:)] Stay in touch.
Ken O'Neal
Morton High School
class of 1960 |
09-25-2007
( Reply#: 1735 ) |
svea3 |
HI Marie!
It's Linda ... Wow!!! there are things which we did, that CAN NOT be told here. For those of you who didn't know Marie , she was a spectacular Baton Twirler in addition to her clarinet playing. Our mothers attended HHS together in the 1920's and played clarinet there. Additionally they played piano and Lenore, Marie's mother, played organ at our church. Marie and I sang in the church choir which involved practices every Wednesday night. [ I still sing alto, Marie, and my church choir has been invited to sing at the Olympics.] I learned so much from your dad and his rich experience with Sousa benefitted us all. Your routines were light years ahead of the curve.
Hessville was just a great place in which to 'grow up'[8)]
I just bought a book of Dr Eastwood's sermons on Amazon. [:)] |
09-25-2007
( Reply#: 1736 ) |
svea3 |
About the Oboe
I never will forget your dad recruiting me to play Carole Eichelburger was graduating. Somehow I just fit into his master plan. Remember Larry Claussen who played Alto clarinet. His dad worked for Standard Oil and was based in Saudi Arabia. After that my left ear was blasted by the piccolo, and or the fourth chair flute.
Janet Baker... Marcia Cook.. Jim Stivers Joan Sherby... Tom Osmon and fourth chair Coronet... KEN!. Oh those were the days. I will never forget marching in the parades carrying the gun.
Linda[8)] |
09-26-2007
( Reply#: 1737 ) |
Marie |
Now we're getting somewhere! Yep, we have some wonderful memories! Linda Johnson was one of my very best friends. We did alot of fun things and dreamed our dreams of delight together. She was so smart that she really frightened me. She could do anything including make all A's and STILL graduate a full year early. As I remember you were a toe/ballet dancer. Are you still on your toes.
e-mail me------ Last time I talked to you I was new to the internet. Do you know anything about Carole Fleischer? Joan Sherby is my cousin so I know where she is and generally what she is doing.
Marie
|
09-26-2007
( Reply#: 1738 ) |
wvcogs |
Marie,
When did your father retire from Morton?
And Linda, that's third chair; but that's not bad out of ten. Of course, Mr. Melton probably placed me there because I was a senior. It certaintly wasn't because of talent.
Speaking of Marcia Cook -- I just received another set photos from the Purdue Calumet Library special collection archives. One of the pictures shows a group of young kids and three counselors at a summer day camp at Lost (Gibson) Park in Hessville in 1961. Marcia is one of the counselors. She now has a copy of that photo.
Ken... |
09-26-2007
( Reply#: 1739 ) |
svea3 |
Thanks Marie. Now everyone knows!!! hahaha
I did continue with my dance in college and did some musicals. Thanks to Violet Milne I was a Level 6 Cachetti. I used that to produce many musicals for children from a rewrite of Oliver to Into the Woods with many stops in between. I even did one for my church Presbyterian , of course. My vocation was teaching mainly at the Middle School level for 38 years- with the last 10 teaching World History/Humanities in Grosse Pointe MI.
I remember Joan Sherby hating her black arm hair so much that she shaved it off... or maybe Nair. Anyways , it came out like a beard and she had to wear long sleeves.
Carole and I walked together to Communicates Classes on Saturday... to see Dr Eastwood. I email Judy Bogan and she was Secretary of your class- so she may know.
How about Helen Shoemaker? Jim Stivers is eaching at UNLV as I saw him at the reunion.
Ken, all I know, you were two rows behind me past the French Horn and Bassoon. {Bill Highland][8)]
Are you still in Illinois?
|
09-26-2007
( Reply#: 1740 ) |
Marie |
My father, John Melton, retired from Morton High School in 1969. He and MOM moved to Hot Springs AR a few years later. Dad died in Arkansas in 1987 and Mom died in IL in 1993. Glenda Benjamin died at young age of a crippling desease.
Dad had quite an influence on my family. I mariied a school band director and I became a school band director. We had 3 sons who all became band directors. Our oldest son is a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois School of Music.
We do not get back to Hammond very often my Aunt Lois (Joan Sherby's Mom) still lives there and gives us updates. |
09-26-2007
( Reply#: 1741 ) |
svea3 |
Marie,
I knew that your life would beinvolved with MUSIC!
I also had three, two girls and then a boy. My eldest went to Purdue and then gradäted frøm MSU. She is a paralegal in Immigration. It is very interesting work at this time.[:I] She is my violinist
My next daughter is a Math prof and written some textbooks. She is getting her second Masters in Statistics on her way to a Phd. She is a coloratura soprano. Thankfully she has a real job as singing is a hard way to go. She was the pianist.[:0]
My son is at UM studying History.Hes very creative expecially in ceramics. His voice is like Frank Sinatra! and is going to China with us. He did Colorado Outward bound and is a 'woofer', trained to save people in mountain climbing and white water rafting stuff.[8)]
Whenever I see UofI, I think of you. Now that I know of the band connection, I will really think of you. Do you still teach baton twirling?
My dad was younger than your dad. He passed on St Patrick's Day in 1996. My mom worked until she was 86 in a doctor's office. She passed in 2005 at Home Hospital in Lafayette as that was my brother's hospital. He worked ER after he retired.
We could have a reunion of the band alone! Go to it Ken!
Linda |
09-27-2007
( Reply#: 1742 ) |
wvcogs |
Marie,
If Mr. Melton taught for about 40 years and retired in 1969, he must have begun teaching before our beloved three story brick building was constructed in 1936-37. Did he ever say anything to you about what the school was like before that? The original school building was at the same location on Marshall Avenue.
Here's an interesting quote from the Tuesday, January 14, 1936 issue of The Hammond Times regarding the groundbreaking for the Morton School building that we knew.
"The present main building of the Morton school plant is to be demolished and the portables moved. With the breaking of ground tomorrow, Morton pupils will be dismissed, possibly for three weeks, or until the portables are arranged for accommodating them. Morton teachers, during the dismissal period, will be assigned to work in other schools."
Unfortunately, the process of demolishing one Morton school and building another new one was repeated just fifty five years later.
Ken... |
09-28-2007
( Reply#: 1743 ) |
Marie |
Ken
I hate to admit it but I do not know about the first school building that Dad taught in, in Hessville. I will check with my older brother, Carl. He paid alot more attention to the "what's going on" than I did. I remember being in the old, first floor, band room when I was really little. That room became the shop when the band room went to the new 3rd floor wing.
I got out Dad's obituairy and reread it. He spent 42 years as a school band director. 40 of those years were in Hammond. The first 2 years of his teaching were in Benton IL. Interesting fact ------ Charlie Berger was hung on the Benton IL square while he was teaching there. He said that school was dismissed that day but that he did not attend the ceremony. Prior to his teaching years, Dad played with the Kryle Band and traveled.
We live 45 miles North of Benton IL in Centralia IL. Our sons always found it interesting to learn about Charlie Berger.
Dad taught 40 BIG years in Hammond. He was way to old when he retired. In those days teachers retired at 65. WOW!!! I retired at 59.
Hessville ----- Morton, was a great place to grow up. Oh, by the way, Ken, I remember my dad saying YOU WERE A PERFECT BAND MEMBER! And, having been a High School band director myself ------- I know only too well what the PERFECT BAND MEMBER is! They are always there and they do not talk all the time!!!! They pay attention and sometimes they have no idea what the director is talking about -- but yet they keep their mouth shut!!
Dad was the reason I became a band director.
I am really impressed with all of your inputs to this site! You must be a historian! I am knew to the site and on page 9 of Hammond.
WV is a really beautiful state. We drive thru it every time we drive to my brothers home in Manassas VA.
Marie |
09-30-2007
( Reply#: 1744 ) |
svea3 |
Marie,
Ken is also impressive because of all of the pix that he posts. You probably remember him with his camera in HS. He also played for IU and I saw him march on MSU's field. I ran over to said "HI" to him. I retired at 58 when I only had 38 years in the trenches. {I graduated from MSU when I was 20 and began the life in front of the chalkboard. I taught in the first bus -integrated school in Michigan. WOW those were the days. Middle School is rougher nowadays, so I'm very glad that I am out.]
Now Judy Bogan is an artist and taught in Shaker Heights/Cleveland Heights. She got her Masters in painting/ oils I think from NYCC. Romantic- she lived on a sailboat in Paris when she did. She and her hubby dock their sailboat at Cedar Point, which is about 2 1/2 hours from here. Her dad just passed away.
Remember Sandy Kessler? Her father was a Hammond cop. Her grandfather had the barber shop across from Artim's trucking Huber's Funeral Home- you know 'Hub-cap'.[8)]
Later,
Linda
|
09-30-2007
( Reply#: 1746 ) |
wvcogs |
Linda,
Thanks for the kind words, but we must give credit where it is due. Let's remember that the photos of present day Hessville were taken by our friend Cj. All the old photos that I have posted or posted links to have been collected from various sources.
Marie and others, take a look at my Webshots albums to see the photos of the Morton High School class of 1960 45th year reunion. All of the folks are identified. By the way, I was not at the reunion because of a minor medical problem, so these photos also are some that I did not take.
[url]http://community.webshots.com/user/hurricanewv[/url]
Ken... |
09-30-2007
( Reply#: 1747 ) |
Marie |
Ken
Your pictures are awesome! What memories of those people. I graduated in 61 so everyone was person I remembered. It was shocking to see that Agnes Scofield had died. Does anyone know what happened to her?
And then I saw Linda. Hey Linda you look great.
That was sure fun.
Marie |
10-01-2007
( Reply#: 1748 ) |
wvcogs |
I'm not sure what happened to Agnes. After we sent out the reunion mailing we heard from her son that she had passed away in October 2004. Since the online page was prepared, five more class member have died. You may know some of them: Marge (Burton) Van Til, Lloyd Lohse, Roberta (McGee) Millikan, Betty (Peto) Cunningham, and Floyd Reynolds.
Many of the pictures in the reunion album were taken by Linda (Hart) Clark.
Ken... |
10-01-2007
( Reply#: 1749 ) |
wvcogs |
Marie,
Here are a couple links to pictures of a building that you will remember. The color pictures were taken this past spring by Cj. The black and white picture is from the Purdue Calumet Library archives and was taken in 1957. Enjoy.
Ken...
[url]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Hammond%20Scenes/Covenant_Presbyterian.jpg[/url]
[url]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Archives/SCP790FirstUnitedCovenantPresbyteri.jpg[/url] |
10-08-2007
( Reply#: 1752 ) |
svea3 |
[:)]Thanks Marie
Lloyd Lohse was my 2nd cousin and Marge Burton VanTil was in my Elementary School class along with Lloyd. Marge's son called me last Saturday night out of the blue... seems he was going through her address book. I told him that I would send the pix that I have from our class, but somehow his email address doesn't seem to work. His name is Derek VanTil.
Now Ken, Linda Hart Clark , who is a cousin by marriage, took some great pictures. Anyhow I missed those goodies. I hope that our next reunion will be as great! It will be hard to top.[8D] |
10-18-2007
( Reply#: 1797 ) |
wvcogs |
This is a photo of the Morton High School band from the 1953-54 school year, the first year Morton was a four year high school. Mr. John Melton, Marie's father, was the director. The photo is from the 1954 Top Hat, the school yearbook.
Ken...
[img]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Archives/MortonHighSchoolBand-1953.jpg[/img] |
10-20-2007
( Reply#: 1815 ) |
seejay2 |
I think the band in '67 wore the very same uniforms. Were they kind of an IUN red?....Cj |
10-20-2007
( Reply#: 1817 ) |
wvcogs |
Cj,
Notice the uniform worn by the band member in this photo from the 1960 Top Hat. We had the red jackets and grey pants from 1956 to 1960. It could be they're the same ones you had years later.
Ken...
[img]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Morton/TopHatSports.jpg[/img] |
10-20-2007
( Reply#: 1818 ) |
seejay2 |
Yes, that's it! I always felt they were heavy enough to be bullet-proof.
I've picked up another box of photos from mom's house. Only 10 million more or so to go. Hoping I'll come across something of interest to all, although I have found black-mail on everybody in the fam, living and dead, to make me a rich man---if only anybody had any money.....Cj |
10-20-2007
( Reply#: 1819 ) |
Jim |
That's the uniform we wore from 1961-1965. They weren't quite as heavy without all the medals. I should know! I hated those solo and ensemble contests. |
10-20-2007
( Reply#: 1820 ) |
wvcogs |
Not only did I hate them, I didn't enter any of them in four years. That way I didn't have to worry about not winning any medals.
Ken... |
10-23-2007
( Reply#: 1824 ) |
svea3 |
[:X]Remember Billy Dedelow- now Ed. I email him regularly and gave him this site. So I hope he appears. He lives in FL, had six children with a Mormon gal and is now remarried. He is a cpa and grad of Brigham Young.
Helen Dedelow, his mom, used to attend our church and recently passed away. Poole was also a Mormon and the two of them went out there in a MGB! That is a tiny auto to go to Utah in! Which is hard to imagine for boys of their stature!
[:I]
Linda |
10-23-2007
( Reply#: 1826 ) |
S C Jones |
Hi Linda,
I found the obit of Joan and Don's mother online. I did not know that he had died also.
Here is where Jo Ann is or was in 2004: Jo Ann (Ted) Allen of McAlester, OK.
Don was in Vermont. And he was a tall drink of water even as a kid, wasn't he?
SC
---------------------
quote:
Originally posted by svea3
[:X]Remember Billy Dedelow- now Ed. I email him regularly and gave him this site. So I hope he appears. He lives in FL, had six children with a Mormon gal and is now remarried. He is a cpa and grad of Brigham Young.
[8)Helen Dedelow, his mom, used to attend our church and recent;y passed away.. Poole was also a Mormon and thee two of themwent out there in a MGB! Which is hard to imagine for boys of their stature!
Linda
Grand Park Subdivision 1940-1961 Boondocks of Hessville! |
10-24-2007
( Reply#: 1827 ) |
svea3 |
SC,
Thanks[8)]
Don, I am going to guess was about 6'5" cause Ed was about 6'4". Ed was just a well built Deutschman [ Dad German/Mom Dutch]. His mother was a VanGorp and was about 6'. Ed's parents were friends of my parents. Don's sister was younger and I really didn't know her personlly.
Does any know anything about Teegarten and Solon? My cousin just had his 50th anniversary and Dave was my escort to that affair. I am quite sure he and his sister Joann became Doctors. Solon's little sister,Sara, was in one of my classes which I taught for Violet Milne in downtown Hammond. Joe was Greek and just a great guy.[8)]
Sorry that I didn't know you back then, but that is why we're on this Shepherd site!
Linda |
11-11-2007
( Reply#: 1836 ) |
wvcogs |
Here it is friends --- the Morton High School band uniform of the 1950s and 1960s being modeled by yours truly. It's amazing what you can find when cleaning out the attic. In my case, I found a box of old, old negatives. The negative for this pic was among them. It was taken sometime in 1957 or '58. Believe it or not, a color negative has survived for almost fifty years.
Ken...
[img]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Morton/BandUniform.jpg[/img] |
11-12-2007
( Reply#: 1837 ) |
Bill Bucko |
With a vaguely familiar building in the background. On the south side of 165th, near Kennedy Avenue? Just east of the old National Tea Co. parking lot? (I rarely walked down that way).
Thanks,
Bill
Warren G. Harding Class of '63 |
11-12-2007
( Reply#: 1838 ) |
wvcogs |
Hello Bill,
That IBEW building is on the north side of 165th Street just about a half block behind (east of) the original Flicks that was on the corner of Kennedy and 165th.
It's good to hear from you again.
Ken... |
11-15-2007
( Reply#: 1845 ) |
wvcogs |
Hey Gang,
Here's one more memory from those John Melton band days at Morton High School. Click on this link to see a colorful image. It won't take long to load -- it's only about 79kb.
Ken...
[url]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Morton/MortonBandLetter.jpg[/url] |
11-25-2007
( Reply#: 1855 ) |
svea3 |
[:)]Marie, do you still do choir?Today we had three trumpets accompanying us. Made me think of your dad and Tom Osman+ Ken O'Neal. We even have a clarinetist!
Just like your dad, our choirmaster is a Tenor.[;)]
Linda
|
01-26-2009
( Reply#: 2699 ) |
phand |
quote:
Originally posted by Marie
Are there any former band members from Morton out there? My father, John Melton was the director for about 40 years! Jean Sheperd was once a tuba player in the Morton Band.
I would love to hear from anyone who remembers the Morton Band and John Melton.
Marie
|
01-26-2009
( Reply#: 2700 ) |
phand |
I was a member of the Morton high school band from 1952 to 1956.
I graduated in 1956.
I remember John Melton he was a good music teacher.
Parker
quote:
Originally posted by phand
quote:
Originally posted by Marie
Are there any former band members from Morton out there? My father, John Melton was the director for about 40 years! Jean Sheperd was once a tuba player in the Morton Band.
I would love to hear from anyone who remembers the Morton Band and John Melton.
Marie
|
01-26-2009
( Reply#: 2701 ) |
wvcogs |
Here's a picture of that marvelous musical organization [:D]from the 1959-60 school year. There are two versions, one for those of you with high speed internet and another for those who still are on dial up.
Yours truly is hiding somewhere toward the back on the left side. Our friend svea3 is the first person to the left of center in the first row.
Enjoy
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/MortonBand1959-60-1.jpg"]Morton Band 1959-60 (high speed connection)[/url]
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/MortonBand1959-60.jpg"]Morton Band 1959-60 (dial up connection)[/url]
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Band_Letter.jpg"]Band Award[/url]
Ken...
|
06-14-2009
( Reply#: 3193 ) |
afscmeed |
quote:
Originally posted by Marie
Are there any former band members from Morton out there? My father, John Melton was the director for about 40 years! Jean Sheperd was once a tuba player in the Morton Band.
I would love to hear from anyone who remembers the Morton Band and John Melton.
Marie
|
08-05-2009
( Reply#: 3479 ) |
ronk |
Marie
Sometimes I wish we were back in H.S. in the band.
My fondest high school memories center around the band. I was in the Jr. band as well as the H.S. band from 56-59. I transferred to Hammond Tech in my junior year. I remember your father and mother very well. I played coronet in the Jr. Band and Sousaphone in the H.S. We had some fun times in 6th hour studyhall in the practice rooms. I don't know if you remember me, but I would like to hear from you.
Ron Winders |
11-26-2009
( Reply#: 3987 ) |
HassoBenSoba |
Marie--
I transferred from Noll to Morton in the fall of '67--when the NEW building opened--so I played (the lowly Alto Clarinet) in the band in '68 and '69. I was (am) a composer, and the Hammond Youth orchestra had already performed 3 of my works during those years; in March of '69 I approached your father about writing something for the big spring concert---his last at the school---and he readily agreed. He was EXTREMELY generous, giving me as much rehearsal time as I wanted--that's because he also let me CONDUCT my new work as well!
So here's this guy who is planning his FINAL concert after 40 distinguished years of teaching--and he turns over half of the rehearsal time to this jerky senior-kid who had dreams of being a composer/conductor! I was totally in awe of the calm, considerate and supportive way that he handled the situation, which allowed me to get the band whipped into shape. I actually have a REHEARSAL tape (in quite decent sound), made on May 14, 1969. The performance was on Wednesday, May 21, 1969, and the band played the heck out of my "Symphonic Dance", as I titled it (I also have that performance on tape--but it was recorded from WAY up in the balcony and the sound is very murky).
I recall that the Hammond Times ran an article the morning of the performance and, due to a typo, listed my work as "Symphonic Dande." That night, before your dad turned over the podium to me, he mentioned to the audience that the Times had screwed up the title, but added "...we think it's a DANDY piece anyway."
Oh yes---I actually have some PICTURES taken from the wings during the performance (!). We still were wearing the old regulation red and gray wool uniforms--- which I also recall wearing 2 months later in the Munster 4th of July Parade, when the bank clocks listed a temperature of 92 degrees at step-off time.
Anyway, I hope you will come across this post; your dad was a real class act, and I remain thankful for his generosity and support.
Larry Rapchak |
11-27-2009
( Reply#: 3993 ) |
Marie |
quote:
Originally posted by ronk
Marie
Sometimes I wish we were back in H.S. in the band.
My fondest high school memories center around the band. I was in the Jr. band as well as the H.S. band from 56-59. I transferred to Hammond Tech in my junior year. I remember your father and mother very well. I played coronet in the Jr. Band and Sousaphone in the H.S. We had some fun times in 6th hour studyhall in the practice rooms. I don't know if you remember me, but I would like to hear from you.
Ron Winders
Heck yea! I remember like it was only a few weeks ago! I see you live in IL. So do we. We are in Centralia (down South). High School Band was great and the whole group was wonderful. Lots of fun and lots of memories. I guess that is why I became a HS band director and really enjoyed working with teens. |
11-28-2009
( Reply#: 3998 ) |
Jim Plummer |
Ken, the short guy behind the drum-what is his name?quote:
Originally posted by wvcogs
Here's a picture of that marvelous musical organization [:D]from the 1959-60 school year. There are two versions, one for those of you with high speed internet and another for those who still are on dial up.
Yours truly is hiding somewhere toward the back on the left side. Our friend svea3 is the first person to the left of center in the first row.
Enjoy
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/MortonBand1959-60-1.jpg"]Morton Band 1959-60 (high speed connection)[/url]
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/MortonBand1959-60.jpg"]Morton Band 1959-60 (dial up connection)[/url]
[url="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/wvcogs72/Band_Letter.jpg"]Band Award[/url]
Ken...
|
11-28-2009
( Reply#: 3999 ) |
wvcogs |
Jim,
If you're asking about the fifth person from the left in the back row, that's Jim Bline.
Ken |
11-28-2009
( Reply#: 4004 ) |
Marie |
Wow! Great memory! Dad was proud of you and spoke highly of you. He knew you had a great future and he was right! You have done some awesome writing and conducting! quote:
Originally posted by HassoBenSoba
Marie--
I transferred from Noll to Morton in the fall of '67--when the NEW building opened--so I played (the lowly Alto Clarinet) in the band in '68 and '69. I was (am) a composer, and the Hammond Youth orchestra had already performed 3 of my works during those years; in March of '69 I approached your father about writing something for the big spring concert---his last at the school---and he readily agreed. He was EXTREMELY generous, giving me as much rehearsal time as I wanted--that's because he also let me CONDUCT my new work as well!
So here's this guy who is planning his FINAL concert after 40 distinguished years of teaching--and he turns over half of the rehearsal time to this jerky senior-kid who had dreams of being a composer/conductor! I was totally in awe of the calm, considerate and supportive way that he handled the situation, which allowed me to get the band whipped into shape. I actually have a REHEARSAL tape (in quite decent sound), made on May 14, 1969. The performance was on Wednesday, May 21, 1969, and the band played the heck out of my "Symphonic Dance", as I titled it (I also have that performance on tape--but it was recorded from WAY up in the balcony and the sound is very murky).
I recall that the Hammond Times ran an article the morning of the performance and, due to a typo, listed my work as "Symphonic Dande." That night, before your dad turned over the podium to me, he mentioned to the audience that the Times had screwed up the title, but added "...we think it's a DANDY piece anyway."
Oh yes---I actually have some PICTURES taken from the wings during the performance (!). We still were wearing the old regulation red and gray wool uniforms--- which I also recall wearing 2 months later in the Munster 4th of July Parade, when the bank clocks listed a temperature of 92 degrees at step-off time.
Anyway, I hope you will come across this post; your dad was a real class act, and I remain thankful for his generosity and support.
Larry Rapchak
|
