Roy Bertelli, 1910-2003

 

Mr. Accordion, Roy Bertelli’s dates obtained from the indexed Social Security death index read: birth date 3 Nov 1910 and death date 22 March 2003.  Also on Ancestry and Find A Grave his death dated is listed as 22 September 2003. Other twists and turns appear around his burial. You, the reader, can research and decide for yourself what you want to believe. Also, on Ancestry is a wedding date for Roy Bertelli and Ethel Rees; the date is 12 August 1950 in Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas. The 1951 Springfield City Directory lists Roy and Ethel Bertelli living at 2010 Brown. According to several online articles, Mr. Bertelli shared his love for the accordion with anyone who would take the time to engage him. One article reads that in the 1950s, Roy taught about 150 students a week. He was a prolific writer and arranger of songs for the accordion and organ; he performed with the Lawrence Welk’s backup band; he was an all around showman and supporter of the performing arts. 

In November of 1997, my cousin and I traveled from Lockport, Illinois, to Springfield, Illinois, to meet with Roy Bertelli. We corresponded previously; we were looking forward to meeting him. He answered many of my questions, played his own songs and shared sheet music. He suggested contacting the Peoria Area Accordion Club, P.A.A.C. In August 1998, Joey and I enjoyed a P.A.A.C. performance at the Italian Festa. The Festa is held annually at Hickory Grove Park, Peoria, Illinois.

 My connection: accordion

During my grade school years, I remember four of us in an accordion class. Our final performance was to play “Lady of Spain.” Due to my inability to get up to speed, I was dropped from the final performance.

 As an adult during the 1960s living in Illinois, I enjoyed lessons in our home. My teacher came once a week. My goal was to write out the bass cords to an old hymn book. He introduced me to fake books and guitar cord books. This was a challenge and fun for my own entertainment. When my mother-in-law was confined to an Alzheimer’s unit, I attempted to “entertain” the patients once a week. My mother-in-law was not even in the room. She had no idea who I was. So while trying to decide if this was worth my time and energy, the song “How Great Thou Art” came across my mind. When I started to play and sing, a man got up from the far corner and stood behind me. He astounded everyone by harmonizing beautifully with the melody; he knew every word! We enjoyed our time together for about ten minutes; he went and sat down. Later I learned from one of the staff that he had not spoken in three years. The staff knew nothing about his life except his name and that he came from out of state. After our time together, he did not speak again. Needless to say, this was NOT a waste of time and energy! 

In 1985 when I moved to Atlanta, the accordion came along. The first church I attended was very small. In fact, one Sunday in July, we had 14 people in attendance. The membership consisted of several families. The children took piano lessons and took turn providing our music. As the children grew up and went off to college, the music was gone too. So, I volunteered to provide the sing along melodies from the old hymn book. Oh how different we sounded singing praises to God with the accordion; then I progressed to the keyboard and briefly the organ. Eventually the next young child learned to play the piano; this sounded great again! 

Jeremiah 29:11 ^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” NIV. Bible Gateway.

Tell us about your musical experiences.  Selma Kampe Blackmon, sbgenealogy@gmail.com

My memories: Rialto Theatre, Joliet, Illinois

Rialto Square Theatre, November 1992, Dorothy L. Mavich, Joliet, Illinois ISMN 0-9635264-0-5

My timeline of memories of the Rialto Square, Joliet, Illinois, start with being introduced to a very large screen with Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Sylvester and Tweety Bird. We watched cartoons on Saturday for ten cents. The cartoons provide recollections of laughter and funny antics during the late 1940s. We saw full length movies with coming attractions and news clips for twenty-five cents. In 1949, John Steinbeck’s movie Red Pony stirred my emotions enough that I cried the whole time. Some of my other early memories include backstage tours and pipe organ concerts.

Another fond memory offers a quote from my mom, “Young lady, you are NOT getting that for your breakfast.” I knew better than to ask, but I just had to tell mom about my first day at work. We had to be at work at 8 o’clock in the morning, the office was not open, so the other girl brought her breakfast. Her breakfast consisted of a large piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. To me, this looked delicious! What does this have to do with the Rialto Square? The building contained three floors of office space. My first job was with the Household Finance Corporation. Our office was located on the first floor above the theatre entrance at the corner of Chicago and Van Buren streets. A. J. Rademacher hired me to receive loan payments and other office work. Mr. HarryRubens would come into the office. This means that I actually saw one of the original visionaries of this glorious structure.

A palace for the people, a vision of a vaudeville movie palace, the construction was the undertaking of the six Rubens brothers. The theatre opened on May 24, 1926. The building reflects Greek, Roman and Byzantine architecture. Read the website for the history, see the many photos and plan a tour to see the awesome beauty up close. It would be a disservice to pick out only one chandelier or one hall or one sculpture to describe in a very short article. The Rialto is still very much a performing arts center, presenting or hosting nearly one hundred events per year. In 1996 the seventieth year, the Rialto and Joliet area supporters paid tribute to the timelessness of its beauty and the quality of its programming. The Rialto continues today!!!

My connection: I grew up in Joliet and took the Rialto's beauty too much for granted. Now every time that I return to the area, I try to make at least one visit to this beautiful icon. The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Henry J Kampe, 1916-1983, was this his sled?

 

“The sled belonged to your father.” This message has been passed down to me for years. Is this true or false?

 

Maybe it was not a dream; I remember seeing tracks down the hill at grandpa’s home in Frankfort, Will County, Illinois. The photo included in this blog is me on a sled in February 1943. Since I was born 1 August 1939, I would have been three and a half years old. The dream or memory in my mind plays out of descending down the long, to a child, gentle hill. I remember various tracks in the snow from numerous trips up and down the side yard.

 Is it possible that my dad had a flexible wooden sled? Yes, according to Wikipedia.com, “Samuel Leeds Allen patented the Flexible Flyer in 1889…” 

“Flexible Fliers are flexible both in design and usage. Riders may sit upright on the sled or lie on their stomachs, allowing the possibility to descend a snowy slope feet-first or head-first. To steer the sled, riders may either push on the wooden cross piece with their hands or feet, or pull on the rope attached to the wooden cross-piece. Shifting the cross-piece one way or the other causes the flexible rails to bend, turning the sled.”  Comparing my sled model with online photos, this sled may have been designed in the 1920s.

  The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, reminds us to wring out every detail in a photo. My dad’s hand writing provides the date as February 1943. Selma on the sled is the subject. This leaves only the location in question. Concrete blocks, tires and wood scraps appear in the upper half of the original photo. HINT: scan ALL of the original photo, keep original scan, crop for publication.

family

With my family staying in Will County, Illinois, the following are three possible locations:

• 1.    My maternal grandparents, the Schuler family lived at 815 Madison Street, Lockport. The garage was wooden. In the front yard was a short steep hill ending at the curb.
• 2.    My dad had purchased an old house at 56 Herkimer Street, Joliet. He remodeled this into six apartments. It would have had a back porch that may have had blocks, but doubt the tires. I doubt this was the place, very small yard, no hill. I attended first grade 1945-1946, so I doubt he owned the building in 1943.
• 3.    My paternal grandfather, William Kampe, lived at the edge of Frankfort. My dad grew up on this farm. The buildings consisted of the original barn with adjoining equipment shed, summer kitchen, garden, chicken house and home. All the buildings appeared to be the same vintage. Except, a large concrete block garage looked out of place at the end of the gravel turnaround between the garden and the chicken house. The garage was definitely more modern than the rest of the buildings.

 With these three choices, I would choose Frankfort. We visited often. It would be the safest for a three and a half year old child to slide down the grassy hill and stop safely with no traffic. Dad and his father were probably out working in the garage when I stopped at the bottom of the hill.

If this is my dad’s sled, they could have been cleaning out the garage as many of us are attempting to do today. Thank you, Deborah; the sled has a great new home. May this article be a tribute to the sled, my dad, my grandparents and many fond memories!!!

 Comments, Selma Kampe Blackmon, sbgenealogy@gmail.com.