Larry Chace

My 3 favorite teachers, in alphabetic order, were:

Mr. Boeckmann (math)

Mrs. Calhoon (English)

Miss Selk (music)

All 3 demanded that we do our very best (or better) and instilled a strong sense of the importance of being exact in their subjects. "Good enough" wasn't ever good enough. 

At the time, I didn't know I would become a computer programmer (and, later, active in pipe organ building),but somehow all 3 teachers knew exactly what to teach and how to do so.

Forever grateful...

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

I don't have the family photos, I only have a CD with copies of them, so I just spent way too much time looking for one.  Since I have two sisters you always get the whole troika.  This one you get the entire family.  My Mom was a Girl Scout leader, my older sister a Senior scout, I was a Girl Scout and my younger sister was a Brownie.  My Dad was a good sport.  When it was the time of year to sell cookies, our entire dining room was full of boxes of cookies,  

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

James (Jim) Rookus

Larry Chance ... I'm interested to hear more about your pipe organ building !  I have a love affair with pipe organs and the rich music that comes out of them.   Always dreamed about having one in my home, but not to practical !  Tell us more ...  do you happen to have built one into your home?

Patricia (Pat) Hocenic (Lehr)

My favorite high school teacher was Miss Mary J. Munce. She taught all 3 years of my Latin classes and instilled in me not only a love of the language but also a love of learning. I went on to get my BA in Latin and married my first Latin teacher's son!

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Yea Patty, Ken and Larry. Please tell us more. Jack, so glad that you saw Mr. Wilson. I never had class with him, but what he did for the Thespians Club was brilliant. So many great memories of working behind and on stage under his direction.

Boo, that self-portrait of your foot is classic. Did you choose the green pins? Thank you for letting us know that all went well with the surgery. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

OK Sandy and Wendy, your childhood photos are beautiful. If you're brave enough to do this, so am I. But don't laugh at the hats. They served us well when shoveling snow. Marv and me (on the right) with our little brother in 1956.

James (Jim) Rookus

If feel terrible to say I don't remember any teachers except Mr Ridenour ... home room. AND Mrs Wood my Spanish teacher so I guess by default she was my favorite!  I was president of Spanish club so did spend a considerable amount of time with her.    As good a  teacher she was and as much as I excelled in Spanish my balloon was popped when I traveled Mexico after Senior year and found out the natives speak about 3 times as fast as we did in class... I did little communicating in Spanish on that trip!  

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

I tried to post a picture of this but no such luck!
Dave's brother was lead design engineer for the Apollo and the Space Shuttle.  He worked for Rockwell for 35 years.   He knew a lot of the astronauts...some of which was very hard on him emotionally.  We are both very proud of this 91 year old man.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Terri, I'm so glad you are healing.  Is your hubby taking good care of you?
Stay strong!
 

Terry (Max) Maxwell

I have been busy helping one of my sons put down new flooring at his house since Friday.  One more day and then a break when he goes back to work for four days.  So I missed "favorite teachers" yesterday.  Since some of you are still discussing it I will put my two cents worth in.  Tough to pick just one since I had a few that I liked.

Roger Whitlow was either my sophomore or junior English teacher.  He was just out of college and had a dry sense of humor that kept me paying attention in class.  Don't know how long he was there, but I liked English enough to consider becoming an English teacher.  Del Swearingin and Bloice Bees were my track coaches and Phys Ed teachers that I highly respected.  When I later coached track, there were many techniques and drills that I used after learning them from Mr. Bess.  Roy Hostetler was my basic and architectural drafting teacher and in the end I became an Industrial Arts teacher instead.  I'll give another vote to Emma Woods, our Spanish teacher as others have previously mentioned.  In Jr. High my favorites were Oren Schaab and Elmer Lehr, both Industrial Arts teachers.  All of those stood out as really good teachers to me.

Don't think I kept any pics of back when I was in grade school.  I have never been a picture saver.  I have my high school year books and that is the extent of pictures for me.

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Some of you have mentioned Ema Wood as a memorable teacher and, having had her for two years of Spanish, I couldn't agree more. Unlike Jack, I have very fond memories of Loraine Kraft. She may not have been the greatest at teaching grammer and writing, but she got me interested in reading, which subsequently got me interested in writing. So, I hold her in high regard. Max mentioned Mr. Lehr and Patty identified Mrs. Lehr. How amazing it must have been for Kenny to grow up in such a household. I can only say that in retrospect we were all very fortunate, not only for the teachers we had, but to be in that particular moment. Eldon Volk, Elwood Wheeler, Ethel Grove, Libero Beragnolli, Clifford Drew, Charles Mohler, all those already mentioned, and so many others were our foundation. We were sooooo lucky.

David Brock

I don't know that I had any favorite teachers from BHS, especially since I was only there 2 of my 4 years of HS.  However, I had 2 teachers  from my previous Atlanta days.  One was Jessie Oldaker, 6th grade and the other was Phil Mc Cullough, HS social science teacher (civics, world and American history).  They challenged the normal and brighter students, but  presented the material in a way to keep the 'challenged' students.  At the time it didn't make so much sense, but later (after special ed and other programs) I really appreiated them.

Suzi--you mentioned a family memberr who worked for Rockwell Aeronautics.  Years ago, I was taking a Statistics class at SIUE, and the professor was an engineer from Mc Donnel Douglass.  One of the students asked a question about accuracy in determinig 'test/statistical failure'--His response was on the order of' I want you to know and underrtand the concept, We sent men to the men on a slide rule.  These calculators sometimes just copnfuse the issue.'

Larry Chace

Jim Rookus asked about pipe organs.  I was "hooked" when our boys' choir was taken on a tour of the new organ at Second Prebyterian.  We actually saw only the large bass pipes and some bellows -- we weren't taken upstairs where some 1500 small pipes werelocated, but it was nevertheless very exciting.

During junior and senior high school, I assembled a small pipe organ in our basement.  It had about 300 pipes, most of which came from discarded organs (Christian Scientist in Bloomington and the old Methodist church in Normal).  I also worked one summer for an Illinois Wesleyan organ student, rebuilding a small organ for the home of the IWU organ professor, Lillian McCord.  I was hired mostly because I was skinny enough to fit inside that very compact instrument.  A few years later I *almost* went to work for a pipe organ company but instead decided to become a programmer.  Financially, at least, that was a good choice, but organ building remained a strong interest.  Over the years I've have the pleasure of working 
part-time with several small organbuilding firms.

The photos show the organ in the loft of our house in Ithaca, NY.  The console (keyboards, etc) was built by a retired IBM engineer.  The pipes comprise 4 ranks: a "Dulciana", an "Aeoline", a Stopped Flute of wood, and a Muted Trumpet.  The bass pipes of the Flute stand behind the console and  the first 2 metal ranks stand to the right; they came from the 1935 organ at Holy Trinity, Bloomington and were made in Pekin.  The Flute, Trumpet, bellows, and blower are located behind the wall to the right.

I built the windchests on which the pipes stand; they contain electro-magnetic valve units that let air into the pipes as needed.  An organist can play the instrument from the console and it can also be played via a MIDI record/playback system (similar to a player piano but using modern technology rather than perforated paper rolls).

A portion of the playback system is a microcontroller that I designed and build "for the trade".  It runs a program of about 12,000 lines of assembly language, a bit of a connection back to my pre-retirement occupation.

So, it *is* possible to have a pipe organ in your own home!

Larry

Terry (Max) Maxwell

Larry... that is amazing!  Glad you shared the story with us.  Glad to see you on the Class of '64 website.

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

We all knew you were very smart Larry,  it building an organ is above and beyond. Wow.

on the teacher subject again, I had Miss Kraft one year for English, and remember her love for the books of Charles Dickens.  She had a collection of Dickens figurines on her desk.  I think she had us read Great Expectations.   I have read quite a few other books by Dickens.  Does anyone else remember reading him?

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

So nice to have Pat Hocenic Lehr and Larry Chase join into the conversations. 

Boo, Thank you for the update on your surgery.   I've never heard why they call you Boo, but I guess it goes way back.  

It's been nice to have Pat Hocenic Lehr and Larry Chase join us with some conversation about the favorite teachers.   Seems that has been a very popular topic.   I think Wendy suggested some other topics to explore that we could talk about.   

Larry, all I can say is what everybody else has said.  "WOW" !   I imagine that organ sounds amazing.   Maybe you could take a video of you playing it and post it.  Looks like you are passing the love of organs on.  Good for you and them.   I haven't heard an organ like that since my days at University Christian Church.  My church now, doesn't have an organ.  Just a grand piano and a band.  I sometimes miss an organ.    I've played a 2 keyboard organ with one row of foot pedals,  that my Mom had, but I could never play an organ like what you have.  I had a friend that had a grand piano that she didn't know how to  play, but it had the option of it playing itself.   That's so nice, especially if you like piano music and don't know how to play.

James (Jim) Rookus

WOW Larry !  As Max stated... AMAZING ! ! !  I assume you also play and if so agree with Sandi's wish that you can figure a way to post a video of you playing an great piece to show off the sounds of that masterpiece !  As a realtor one day browsing the new listings spotted a small 90+ yr old house for sale with a pipe organ built in it.  I investigated and discovered the oringinal house was like an old farm house style about 1000 Sq.Ft.  An older bachelor in his mid 60's was a factory worker, didn't play at all, but loved organ music.  He added a new wing on, bought a pipe organ from an old church, had organ builders install in the home.  The basement of the addition contained the pipes and the console was in the living room.  My wife thought I was crazy when I suggested we look at it.  The house was way to small to ever accomodate our large family coming over, but that organ sure tempted me.  The guy never learned to play, just enjoyed having people come over and play it.  I sure wish I would have known him before he passed away!  A guy from 500 miles away bought it to enjoy!

I have a Baldwin "moderate size" church organ but surely no comparison to a pipe!  So does that device you mentioned allow you to record what you play and store for remote playback?  You are lucky I don't live near you or you would find me at your door step too often!

Please work on sending us a sample of your music!

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Larry, please allow me to add a 5th WOW to your organ. I remember you with enormous admiration and love hearing what you have been doing, but for some reason I always thought you would become a chemist. Would like to know more about your computer history. When, why, how? My son is my lifeline to the computer. Without him I'd be lost. Like others, I'm wondering if you play as well as build these amazing instruments.

Wendy Stephens (Cullen)

I have an idea for a photo day.  Bucket list.  Remember when that phrase started, I guess in conjunction with a movie, but my idea is a place that you have gone, or something that you have done, that would qualify as being on a bucket list.

mine is being at the Great Wall of China.  The trip was in 1986.  This is me.  Dark hair and a lot thinner.  Ha.

David Brock

Bucket Lists--One of the items on our bucket list was a trip to Alaska.  A few years ago, we went, and it was truly a trip of a lifetime.  I have posted photos from that trip a few times. I think we saw and did everything on our 'to do' list, except seeing Denali.  We were there, but the clouds did not cooperate. 

We have experienced a couple of other destinatons that were right up there too.  We went to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.  I went for various BSA training sessions, and Sandy went for the family/spouse activities--various crafts and trout fishing in the mountains, etc. That still is one tough lifestyle in the southwest.  On one of our trips, they were several years into a drought and were expecting another 10.  The local attitude was 'just another day in paradise'. 

Ray Bledsoe

Larry,

My brother, who is still in the Bloomington area got me one of the organ pipes (A=440) when Second Press was torn down.  As we were envolved in Music at Second Pres. this little memento means a lot to me.  Have you be back to Bloomington to see the new Sanctuary at Second Pres.?

Ray

David Long

Boo, 

So happy that you were able to get some help with your foot.  I know it's tempting but stay off it until it's healed.  In addition to my AKA, I have a non-operable foot injury that makes walking difficult, but not impossible.  I've had 3 doctors tell me they would be willing to operate on the foot if I would be willing to lose it if the operation wasn't a success.  I'm passing on that opportunity.

Wendy,

Bucket List stuff - there's a lot that have been checked off the list but still a lot remaining.  I desire to go back to Northern Ireland and see the Giants Causeway; see the Northern Lights in Iceland; see Manchu Picchu in Peru; visit Madagascar and see the unique critters, but the one most attainable is to visit the one State out of our 50 that I have yet to see - Montana.

Larry,

Another WOW on the Pipe Organ! Amazing!

Marvin Theobald

Larry’s organ project is a masterful accomplishment obviously done with a combination of extreme skill, knowledge and love. Having made some effort in the past year to restore a 1933 player piano, I have a huge appreciation for the effort involved in building such an amazing instrument and will readily add another WOW.

The player piano has many of the same controls involved in Larry’s organ. I have not had the willingness or the patience to go to the extremes Larry has to be successful. With the electronic micro-controller and MIDI programs Larry referred to the organ can play itself. Whether Larry can play himself or not he can still enjoy the full impact of its performance.

Below are a few photos of my player piano that will sadly likely never play again. Unfortunately it needs too much time and money investment to be worthwhile to me. It is available if anyone wants to tackle it. The photos show the condition I found it and some of the stages of disassembly during the restoration effort. This is more detail than you may care about but to anyone that has never been exposed to how these things work you may find it interesting to see.

Player piano as found.

With outer covers removed. Note missing key covers and dirt.

The following photos demonstrate the complexity of the operational mechanics.

Air motor that drives and rewinds the paper piano roll.

Partial view of vacuum line tubing and tracking bar for paper piano roll.

Key actuator bellows. There are over 100 individual actuator bellows in a player piano. Most bellows and valves found in vintage pianos and organs are replaced with electrically controlled valve assemblies in electrically converted digitally controlled systems.

Actuator valves exposed in open windchest.

Other layers of actuator valves and air passages in open windchest.

After cleanup with open windchest. Note new key covers. Manual play is fully functional but the vaccum system that causes the player part to operate has too many air leaks and needs a complete rebuild. 

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

I would have to say the circle trip we took in 2010, out West, was a bucket list trip for me.  That's when we went  to The Grand Teton's, Yellowstone Park, South Dakota, Iowa and back home.  I've put many pictures of that trip on this site.   We talked about going up to Montana, but we were tired and it would have added at least another 3 days so we decided not to go.   My big regret, though, because I may not make it back that far West again.  Jim didn't really want to take this trip, at all , but after it was over, he was glad we went.  That was our last trip together. 

Ray, glad to see you join in.  I'm glad you got that memento from 2nd Pres.  I'm sure it does mean a lot to you.

Marvin, that is a beautiful piano.  My first piano was an upright like that,  Not a player piano, tough.  My parents wanted to be sure I could learn to play the piano before they invested a lot of money into a good piano for me.  Looks like you did a lot of restoration and at least it can be played by a person, even though the player part doesn't work.  Do you play?   I know Judy does.

Marvin Theobald

I have never actually made a bucket list but have been fortunate enough to have experienced many places that would have been on it if I had made one. Inspired by Salina Poolthong in high school I maintained a desire through the years to see Thailand. A year after I retired I fulfilled that dream. High on my remaining list of places I still hope to visit are many of the national parks out west as well several South Pacific Islands.

In the grounds of the Royal Palace in Bankok.

Wat Arun in Bankok.

Looking down from the extemely steep stairs on Wat Arun.

Remote Karen tribal village in far northern Thailand.

Typical Karen woman.

Karen woman winding warp in preparation for weaving a scarf.

Island at Railay Beach in far south Thailand.