Recently I was reminded of the several musicians that entertained my hometown area through the years. Someone shared online a historical recording of two Burr Oak residents that were always willing to share their musical talent. I’m sure that would be from the 1920s, and maybe even earlier, through the 1960s when I remember listening to their talents. Those two men died long ago but listening to their online recording, brought back memories. They were Bill Yetter and Dan Petitt. Bill worked in the town’s lumber yard and Dan worked with his wife in the operation of Zetta’s café. I’m sure they played several instruments, but mostly I remember Bill playing a fiddle. I think Dan played a banjo and guitar, but mostly I remember him playing the “squeeze box,” which fascinated me. Also a local farmer that later became a business owner in town, along with his wife, Ivan McMillan, would join Dan and Bill playing a guitar. Ivan’s wife would join in with the fellows playing the piano. I was told they played at many local and area dances, but I remember listening to them it was at local and church events.
My memories of Bill are his laugh and pleasing personality. Dan, being a member of the Pettit family, had a relative named Sonny who was also a great musician. He had his own band that played at many area dances. Dan was a tall man, as I remember, with a deep voice. I can still see him at the café in his white apron and cap on. Those men would sing and play their instruments for hours.
Such musical memories I’m sure others remember.
Before Dan, Bill, Ivan and Sonny, there were the Burr Oak Band members. Though I didn’t get to hear this band, I was told about these talented local men that made up the town band. This band was organized at a time when about every town had its own town band.
The local dentist, James McCormick Sr., formed the Burr Oak Band. It’s a shame that era of local musical interest didn’t carry on. This Burr Oak band was made up of local farmers and mostly town business men.
In the early years, they even had band uniforms. They played while seated in a wooden gazebo like band stand that once was on the former grade school grounds. I was told this band played for holiday celebrations, local events and marched in the town parades.
In later years, younger band members kept the town band going, including a local farmer named Loren “Shake” Fogo. Every night the town’s businesses were open, the band stand was moved out onto the main street and the band would provide entertainment for the shoppers.
There were other local musical men and women that would later continue to provide entertainment for the Burr Oak community and into other communities. The Northbranch Church and school seemed to overflow with musical talent, including the Jeffery and Dillon families. There was the Jeffery men’s quartet that included a Dillon member that sang at many events, funerals and weddings. Some members of this quartet were great soloists also.
There was also a ladies trio from Northbranch composed of great singers. There were the many great Northbranch pianists that shared their talents including Lonnie Diehl, Erma Dillon, and a music teacher that entered the Jeffery family, Rosetta Jeffery. Rosetta would extend her musical talents to her many students at Burr Oak High School and later at White Rock High School. Rosetta saw to it that if her students had any musical talent, they were pushed and encouraged to share that talent with the public. A few years later, the next generation of Northbranch musical talent shined also that included not only the Jeffery and Dillon families but also the McNichols and Diehls.
Every church had its choir and several from those choirs were willing to sing solos and play instruments providing special worship service additions. I’d name some of them but sure wouldn’t want to leave anyone out.
East of Burr Oak, the Boyles family, I may proudly add, had musical talent that was shared at church, funerals, wedding, family events, and at school. Granny Esther Boyles promoted and taught her four sons and daughter to share their talents. Though one son ended up moving away, the other three were often called upon to sing and her daughter was encouraged to play the piano. One of Granny Esther’s proud moments was in a photo I have of her seated at the piano and her four sons singing in a brother quartet. My father Gerald, liked to play the banjo and guitar and sing mostly at church, funerals, weddings, later at senior centers and long term care residents’ events. Many family times with his daughters were spent singing together. Later he had the grandchildren join in. Those were precious family times.
Sharing a musical talent is important. There is that old saying, “If you have it, use it” and bring joy to others.
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