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2oXi-knwIiwiDJ rntoo, AUkjuai i/,Prof. Feustel Serves 50 Years As OrganistBy FRED CLARKE [has played for masses in St. The little, elderly gent perch-1 Peter Claver church weekdays ed on the edge of the stool in and Sundays. Sometimes, espec-front of the organ. His glasses ially during Christmas or Easter, sat precariously on the tip of he has played five and six mass* his nose, and he looked at his es on a Sunday. During the week visitor over the top of the spec*. he plays for the early masses at tacles,—then he smiled. iG a.m., and each day during theYou know, i've been climbing' summer, when the parochial those stairs for 50 years now, school children are not there to and I’ve gotten to ” the point sing the mass, he sings the mass where I have to pause to catch j to his own accompaniment, my breath.” : So used to sitting at the organThe little gent is Prof. Joseph hn the church is Prof. Feustel, Feustel, 1438 S. lOth street. The I that Thursday morning, when stairs he was talking about are i a golden jubilee mass was held the steps that lead to the organ ,f0 commemorate his anniversary, loft in St. Peter Claver Catholic I he plaved the mass himself, church. Prof. Fuestel has been! |Jorn M Wes(. the church organise since An- pr(Jf Fuostel was born at gust 13, 1903, when he came to ^Vest Bend on Dec. 9, 1881. He Sheboygan to accept the position. aUendcd parochial school and During those 50 years Prof..hi h schooj mcrc Since he was Feustel hasn t missed moie in eh ycrs oX hs been100 Sundays. That’s about twice i ]Carning, practicing and leach-ycarly— and those wt’-c tne ........Sunday's he was on vacation. HeCall . , .Joseph E. Barte!Dial 2-1 fir. 1ForLIFE, ACCIDENT, HEALTH, ANNUITIES, HOSPITALIZATION, CROUPAll-Ways Insuranceing music. His first instrument was the piano and he began lessons at 6 years of age.When little Joe Fuestel was 9 years of age he added the violin to his schedule. This was followed by the clarinet, and as he gained proficiency on each, he would start on another instrument. By the time he was 16v'ear* of age he could master .....musical instrument MS' I St. J-rancis. Wis., whereChurch Organist For 50 YearsProfessor Joseph Feustel observed last week his 50th anniversary as organist and choir director at St. Peter Claver Church.almost anyhe applied himself to studing 1 the organ and advanced music In 1903 he completed the courseand had organized the first juvenile band in West Bend After his graduation fromhigh school he spent some time , , . „ . . ____. ° u* u j nr., and was graduated and he pon-traveling with his own band. He ___, ______then enrolled at Pio Nono Acad-Studebaker trucks cut costs millions of dollars yearlyffmdmds of thousands of them point the *9/to swings fbrytw5tudet»ok«r truck Hxrt you im i* o blt;snk-occount watchdog for somebody.Cut yourself in for a pwsoool shore of Sftrdeboker operating economy; Cut down your spending for got and for upkeep.Come m and examine the design and structure of e Studeboker truck. Its hundreds of thousands of teammates are reducing America’s hauling costs million* of dollars a year.GAS-SAVING OVERDRIVE h at axtrm mt hi •# W th*lipht-lt;ktty St*ci*i*aiear truck ino6*h~Christianson Motor Sales1332 N. 13th Street Dial 4861Vz TON PICK-UP TRUCKDELIVERED $ flIN SHEBOYCAN ...........A WWWLIBERAL ALLOWANCE FOR CA5H OR TRADE-INdered two offers he had received.The best offer, from a financial viewpoint, was one from Dubuque, Iowa, but Prof. Fuestel didn't want to travel that far. So he accepted the Josser offer, from St. Peter Claver church in Sheboygan.When he came to Sheboygan a half-centux'y ago, the church had an old melodcon instead of an organ. He played this for several months, and in Nov., 1903, ap old pump organ was installed.In recalling (he youngsters whose duty it was each mass to stand behind the old organ and apply their youthful vigor to the bellows of the organ, he says it must have been more than a thousand. It was the privilege for all who pumped the organ to carve or scratch their initials in the back of the organ, and when the organ was sold about 24 years ago, there wasn’t any more room for names or initials.The old organ. Prof. Feustel said, is still in use at the church n Frcdonia, That organ is 125 years old now, he added, and is still used regularly for services.The present organ replaced the old pump organ and many, many thousands of times have the talented fingers of Prof. Feustel guided hymns fro ms the key board.Teaches Music At SchoolIn addition to his organ-playing duties, Prof. Fcustei found his job included leaching music in St. Peter Claver school. He also organized the first school band in Sheboygan. By 1904. less than a year after he arrived here he had a 22 piece school band at St. Peter Claver.He also gave private music lessons and organized a small concert band. In 1903 the Prof, Feustel Band, dressed in their new green uniforms, replete with white trimmings, gave a big concert in the city.Many of his students became famed in the music field, among them the late 'Henry Mai sack, who was organist for St. Augustine's Church in Milwaukee for 26 yearti. Mr. Feustel points out that he taught Henry Mal-sack his first music, played for his wedding, and then over a quarter-century later played for Mr, Malsack's funeral.Another of his pupils who have gained no smalt measure of fame is Bob Hirt, organist for WTMJ and WTMJ-TV. In addition to these, there are many, many local musicians, with bands, orchestras, and soloists, who learned I heir musical A, B. C’s from the venerable professor.Among the thousands of local children who have taken lessons, both vocal and instrumental, from Prof. Feustel are many third generation children. He has some children today learning from the same master who taught their parents and grandparents.The Kohler schools contacted Prof. Feustel years ago and for 12 years he taught the orchestra in the village. He refused a fulltime position there as he has refused so many offers in the past 50 years. Prof. Feustel thought he had found his niche at St. Peter Claver and he was content to remain there.For 47 years, from 1905 until 1952, he lived in his own home across the street ^rom the church. Last year, when the expansion program needed a nearby site for the home for the nuns, he agreed to give up his location. The Feustel home was then movedto its present location on S. 10th Street.Seven Children SurviveProf, and Mrs. Feustel hud nine children, seven of whom survive. Ail knew how to play some musical Instrument, and all were active in music in some capacity or another. Today he Is teaching some of his 18 grandchildren how to play their favorite instruments.Twisting around on the organ stool, Prof. Feustel peeks down into the darkened church. Thousands of times he has looked into the church from this vantage point. Many are the men, worm en, boys and girls he has seen kneeling in this church. Thousands of voices have sung the glories of God to the music played by Prof. Feustel.Would he do it over—I would do it again if the Xord allowed me. In music I have found something beautiful, something, lasting. It has been a pleasure for me to be able to play, and it has been even more of a pleasure for me to be able to teach others to play.And you then followed him down the stairs from the organ loft. As he rounded a ‘'urn in the stairway he looked back up the stairwell and you wondered•how many, many memories was this grand old man seeing, following him from the choir loft where he had spent so many, many hours?Scabee Meeting Aug, 21 To 23The Seabee Veterans of America will meet for their seventh annual convention at Hotel Fowler, Lafayette, Ind., Friday through Sunday, according to Harry H. Wade, Kenosha, Wisconsin state secretary. All Seabee veterans are welcome to attend the convention.It is estimated that added U.S. population by 1975 will require 20 million more hogs, 10 million more cattle, and 3.5 more sheep and lambs.THE SHEBOYGAN PRESSVOL. XLVI August 17. 1953 NO. 205Entered as seeund class matter at the oust office at Shebuvzan Wis. under the act of March 3. 189 City Shcboytan 8v Carrier oer week ...tn advance at office:Three Months — ------..— $Six Months .............* 2-iiOne Year ....... $18.21Suburban Carrier Bv Carrier oer week — 2olt;In advance at office:Three Months ........................... J J-'-1Six Months ..... 6.25One Year $12.50Truck Serylc*Une Month __________________—.Three Months _______—.—Six Months ___________One Year; $ 2.75 $ 5.50 $11.00By Matl tn advance In Sheboygan, Ozaukee. Washington. Fond du Lac, Calumet and Mam-towoc Counties, per vear * 8.00 Outside above-mentioned Coun-ties In Wisconsin oer vear. J 9.00 In Other States Zones 3-3-4One Month ....................J. 1-25One Year .. ...........—-*—$11.00Zones 5-6One Month ......--------——-*.Te2One Year .............Zones 7-81' 512.00Urgent Call For Pickers!Lakeside Bean-Packing Plant buses will be out to pick you up at the following pick-up stations: .We Are Now Paying 3c Per Lb. For Bean*LINCOLN SCHOOL JEFFERSON SCHOOL LONGFELLOW SCHOOL LAKESIDE PLANT, New Jersey Av«,Listen for Announcement On Radio Station WHBL at6:40 q. m. 5:15 p. m.Buses Leave About Pickup Stations at 7:15 A. M.SiSt will tube in S day.Tt in a arri\ thro gan until and of H As the , has help; depa ches' citiz* co-ch Mrs, AltOI Th this the tinuc ous free earl} mak: and teer clerh X-ra;As pron Robe Hare Haac exhit Sass, Wlt; secui ihe i Club cons: Mrs. Knai Albe Wooi One
Newspaper Details
Sheboygan Press
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, US
Mon, Aug 17, 1953
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Milwaukee P.
WI, USA 29 Jul 2023
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