On Christmas Eve 1941, I was almost 3 years old. When my dad brought me into the living room, Santa Claus was sitting on the floor and a brand new Lionel train was going around the tree! The first thing my dad said to me was, “Don’t touch it”! Well, that train still goes around the Christmas tree every year 78 years later!
That gift began my interest in trains. In 1948 or ’49, the Kroehler Mfg. Co. went on strike. When my dad chose not to walk the picket lines, he went to work for the Burlington Northern Railroad, working at the freight office on the north side of the tracks. In those days, many businesses in Naperville were served by the railroad. There was Boecker Coal & Grain, Kroehler’s, Brown’s Toy Furniture factory, Swartz Lumber, and west of Mill St. was Grush Oil. There was a siding on the south side that ran west to Ewing St. and turned south all the way to Jackson near Centennial Beach. It turned east and split Jackson all the way to Webster St. This served Enck & Drendel Feed Store, Moore Lumber and Zaininger Coal & Oil.
Well, on one of the many days I visited my dad at work, mainly to see the trains, the switch engine came in to pick up and drop off cars. The engineer asked if I’d like a ride.
“You bet!” I said.
I got in the cab and he handed me a shovel and said, “You don’t ride free.”
So I shoveled coal! What a thrill. Another thrill came in 1950-51 when as a Boy Scout, Packs 33 and 81 traveled to Camp Indian Mound, Wisconsin, for a week-long camp out. I earned three merit badges that week!
One of the mysteries of Naperville began on December 7, 1952, when two young children, Jean Peterson, age 6, and Eddie Rosenstiel, age 3, went missing. They lived next door to each other on Water Street near Webster. When their mother called them for lunch, she couldn’t find them. The police, fire and volunteers were called in along with Boy Scouts. We walked the river all through downtown and a blood hound traced them to the big quarry which was eventually pumped out. They were not found until Feb. 3 when a man working on a power line saw a red something under the ice in the DuPage River. They were both there in the clothes that they were wearing the day they went missing. I was in 8th grade at the time and my science teacher was a volunteer fireman, so we got the news first hand.
I also joined the Hi-Y Knights at the YMCA in 8th grade. Our group sponsor, Floyd Thompson, was a great influence on us about service to others. We went to the county home and also helped “older” people with shopping and groceries.
At the same time, I was playing tuba in junior high and Mr. Koerner let me set in with the high school band. This year also was the first time I played a real solo with the Municipal Band.
Every summer the NMB would play a concert in the Elmhurst summer park series and then play the same concert the next night in Naperville.
On this particular night, I was to play a solo called “Solo Pomposo.” The rehearsal on Monday night went great, so great that I didn’t take the music with me to Elmhurst on Wednesday. Bad idea! When we got ready for the third and final movement of the solo, I went blank!
Well, you just can’t stand there like a goof, so I began to make up something to fill the void. Mr. Koerner looked at me and I shrugged, and he began whistling the melody. I jumped in and at the end he asked what happened. I said I just went blank.
He said, “I don’t think anyone noticed!”
Ha! My mother was in the audience, she noticed and she came at me with all the fire. She reminded me that security is having the music in front of you. The next night the solo went terrific!
Editor’s Update, 1:35PM Sun., Oct. 18, 2020 / To be clear, we are very sorry to report that the Naperville Municipal Band Concert for today is canceled because of the cold and rainy weather.
Editor’s Note, 10AM Sun., Oct. 18, 2020 / Since this post by Naperville Municipal Band Conductor Ron Keller is attracting attention, note that the outdoor concert at the Naperville Community Concert Center in Central Park set for 2PM today, Sun., Oct. 18, weather permitting, will be called on or off at concert time, according to Keller.
Stay tuned for an update, with hopes the rain will cease so the community can gather to celebrate the season safely with popular favorites for “Football! World Series! And Halloween!” BYO chairs and follow local protocols. Thank you.
