Kauffman is also a successful businesswoman, owning her own skincare line and spa. May 18, 1992 at 12:00 am. Im willing to bet "The Lawrence Welk Show," aired Saturday nights on NET, still draws a good number of viewers. Now these children blessed them with 12 grandchildren, some of which married: Breeanna Bolin (Chance), Shannon Richardson (Tony), Mellanee Welty, Nick Stanberry (Jackie), Heather Mueller (Brett) Tara Larson (Adam), Barbara Carrell, Phillip Bolin, Amber Bolin, Stephanie Singh (Trishan), Ashley McGrath, Brittanie Williamson. Whenever the orchestra played a polka or waltz, Welk himself would dance with the band's female vocalist, the "Champagne Lady". They appear now on more than 240 public television stations. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. I danced with some of the ladies and joked with the guests., But Welk received an immediate favorable response from viewers. ", About the same time, Mr. Welk also composed his theme song, "Bubbles in the Wine.". I went home and said to Fern (his wife), I think weve finally found our place in life. . Turning his back on farm life, although not on its values of hard work and discipline, Mr. Welk went off to seek his fortune through music. Netherton was born on January 11, 1947, in Munich, Germany while his father, a United States Army officer, was stationed there. He lived in Washington. The "a-one, a-two, a-three" cue line for which he was known helped to spread his fame even beyond the millions who tuned in to his weekly shows that appeared on ABC from 1955 through 1971. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! From 1956 to 1958, he hosted Top Tunes and New Talent, which aired on Monday nights. term. . She joined its thermometry laboratory in 1950 and was a supervisor there until she retired in 1970. Lawrence Welk was the sixth of nine children born to Ludwig and Christina Welk, immigrants from the Odessa region of Russia. One of his sons, Lawrence Welk Jr., married fellow Lawrence Welk Show performer Tanya Falan; they later divorced. Welk, whose bubbling music makers were a television staple for 40 years, made his debut in an era when Arthur Godfrey, Groucho Marx, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Kukla, Fran and Ollie and Jackie Gleasons Honeymooners were at the top of the Nielsen ratings. Despite its staid reputation, The Lawrence Welk Show nonetheless kept up with the times and never limited itself strictly to music of the big-band era. In 1979, he wrote an autobiography titled "In The Morning of My Life". Now hes a Florida retiree and still shirking responsibility for the crime. Funeral services will be private*. Mr. Welk credited his success in part to his childhood poverty, observing in 1970 that "there's something you learn by hardship, by a little fear" and "one of the real bad conditions we have today is that we don't allow children to work at an early age." He was 89 years old. Mr. Welk had been suffering from pneumonia in recent days, said Bernice McGeehan, a spokeswoman for the Welk Group. With diligence, drive and a cheery "ah-one an' ah-two," the self-taught maestro became one of a handful of television entertainers who defined the viewing habits of a generation. Frankly, Im not much of a musical expert. I had a flash of insight, an absolutely firm feeling that the boys and I had come home, and that television was the thing we had been looking for. One insider told The ENQUIRER about a Christmas party His band was also the station band for the popular radio programming WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota. Mr. Parker, who had lived here since 1940, was a native of Greenwood, S.C. During World War II, he served in the Army and worked for the War Production Board. Detractors called it tinkly Mickey Mouse music dispensed to geriatric audiences. In 1927, he graduated from the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On his 21st birthday, having fulfilled his promise to his father, Welk left the family farm to pursue a career in music. He clung to the formula that had served well on local television in Los Angeles. Our support in your time of need does not end after the funeral services. Raul and Lorenzo; and a granddaughter. As Welk's show targeted mainly older viewers, it seldom played recent music with which the audience might not be familiar. Welk responded by syndicating his show, which ultimately was picked up by more than 250 stations around the country--more than had aired his show on ABC. Welk was never an innovator. She stayed in that position for 20 years. He was honorably discharged from the army in 1952. By the time his series ended its run in 1982, it was television's longest-running musical variety show. [citation needed], After enlisting in the Army during the Vietnam War, Netherton was stationed in Panama, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant. [1] Not many, however, found extensive work outside of the Welk show. Welk left school during fourth grade to work full-time on the family farm. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. My heart was filled with sadness at During the 1930s, Welks band grew to 10 pieces and was known for a time as the Hotsy Totsy Boys. He would make a name for himself across the Upper Midwest leading a ten-piece band called the Hotsy-Totsy Boys, and in 1951 "The Lawrence Welk Show" began as a local program on KTLA in Los Angeles. During the 1920s, he performed with various bands before forming an orchestra. Schwahn), Anton Welk, Johannes "john" L. Welk, Barbara Welk, Anna Mary Welk, Ludwug L Welk, Louie Welk, Agatha Ternes (geb. Thomas Harold Netherton Jr. (January 11, 1947 January 7, 2018), was an American singer. [citation needed] During the 1970s and 1980s he appeared on television commercials for Rose Milk skin care lotion and Nabisco's Triscuits crackers. During World War II, she worked for the War Production Board. Welk enjoyed playing golf, which he first took up in the late 1950s, and was often a regular at many celebrity pro-am tournaments, such as the Bob Hope Desert Classic. He was a "quick wit"! He wanted to give people music he thought they could understand, and he didnt think they could understand Beatles songs or Stevie Wonder songs.. He is survived by his wife, the former Fern Renner, who was a nurse; a son, Lawrence Jr., known as Larry, a business adviser to his father; two daughters, Shirley Fredricks and Donna Mack; 10 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Novelty numbers would usually be sung by Rocky Rockwell (19232013), originally from St. Joseph, Missouri. Components of the multi-million-dollar Welk conglomerate include a large music library and ownership of the lucrative royalty rights to 20,000 songs. WebHe latterly lived in Shingle Springs, California, with his friend and band mate, Brandy Lane. Bill loved spending time with his family, telling jokes, working in his yard, caring for his roses, watching Hee Haw, Lawrence Welk, The Porter Wagner Show (Dolly Parton) listening to Jimmy Rodgers, Johnny Cash, big band music, and playing his harmonica. Little also performed at President Ronald Reagan's inaugural balls in 1985 and returned to television in the PBS special; Lawrence Welk: Milestones and Memories, which featured a reunion of stars from the Welk show. The show became a local hit and was picked up by ABC in June 1955. Upon returning to St. Louis, following an honorable discharge, he worked at Supreme Sandwich shop where he became part owner. In April, I was startled when a co-worker announced that Cynthia Lennon passed away. Mr. Nelson was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bethesda. In recent years, Welk and his wife of 61 years spent their retirement primarily at their Champagne Good taste also was important to Mr. Welk. Arrangements were simple. This is where he met his wife of 53 years, Dorthea.Together they had 4 children, who married blessing them with daughter and son in-laws: Bill Jr (Toni), Linda (Dwan), Robert (Jeanetta) and Kelli. Lawrence 'Larry' Welk, 83, of Aberdeen, passed away Wednesday, October 1, 2014, at ManorCare Health Services in Aberdeen. At first uneasy as a television personality, fearful that his fourth-grade education would betray him, he soon enough developed a love affair with his audiences. She was born on February 13, 1937, in Omaha, Nebraska, the second of three children of Lawrence Welk and Fern (Renner) Welk. [citation needed] He was featured in solo performances of old Tin Pan Alley tunes, but he also worked quietly as a member of the Welk ensemble, at the rear of the bandstand, playing background piano alongside singer-pianist Larry Hooper. His honors included playing at the 1957 inaugural ball of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His favorite past times were golf, watching baseball, landscaping and home improvement projects. Any money he made elsewhere during that time, doing farmwork or performing, would go to his family]. WebLawrence Welk Vintage Mom The Lennon Sisters, 1968. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Former 'Lawrence Welk' star calls Goshen home", Video biography from Welk Stars through the Years, 2009, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Netherton&oldid=1095433686, Articles needing additional references from February 2018, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 June 2022, at 10:03. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and in the Air Force during the Korean War. Born in Worthington, Minnesota, United States,[1] and the son of Tiny Little, Sr., a prominent musician and bandleader, Big Tiny Little, Jr. first took up playing piano at the age of five, becoming both a honky-tonk, ragtime pianist and playing other instruments such as the organ, bass horn and bass fiddle. But the sentiment could just as easily apply to watching "The Lawrence Welk Show. Still others left the show over money disputes with Welk, who paid the minimum union scale to his cast. As I recall, the show was nothing really special, Welk wrote in his autobiography, Wunnerful, Wunnerful. We played our usual arrangements for the dancers. Geni requires JavaScript! "Big Tiny" Little's Brunswick recording of "Twelfth Street Rag", from the album Honky Tonk Piano (Side 1, track 4), was the theme for Joe Franklin's long-running TV show on New York City station WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV). Mr. Welk's birthplace was refurbished under private sponsorship. The appropriation was criticized as pork barrel spending, and it was later rescinded. His career post-Lawrence Welk included touring and performing around the United States as well as acting in stage musical productions of Oklahoma! There was a problem saving your notification. He was noted for spotlighting individual members of his band. It was , Justice Clarence Thomas' example shows need for better standards. Welk thanked ABC and the sponsors at the end of the last network show. From 1955 through 1982, he also hosted The Lawrence Welk Show. In 1955, when he was 52, his coast-to-coast television program began its long run. During its network run, The Lawrence Welk Show aired on ABC on Saturday nights at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time), moving up a half-hour to 8:30 p.m. in the fall of 1963. [citation needed], Netherton joined the Lawrence Welk show cast in 1973. also achieved number-one status. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Copy. Table Of Contents. Champagne Lady Norma Zimmer reminds her of her mother. When the manager doubled the offer, however, Mr. Welk jumped at it. January 3, 2020 / 2:12 PM Bill married Traci Zink on September 30, 2001. Cuesta's son, Henry Cuesta Jr., preceded him in death. Welk completely retired from all public appearances in 1992 at the age of 89. WebThomas Harold Netherton Jr. (January 11, 1947 January 7, 2018), was an American singer. Bill retired from being the President of Lift Truck Center after 53 years. They began their family raising children (Warren and Jodie) while living in Milwaukee. Lawrence Welk Jr. is the son of the famous American accordionist. We had written our book. Giving Bill a step-son, Cody Zink, who was one of his best buddies. Lawrence Welk decided on a career in music and persuaded his father to buy a mail-order accordion for $400 (equivalent to $5,003 in 2020) He promised his father that he would work on the farm until he was 21, in repayment for the accordion. Lawrence Welk, a firm taskmaster and consummate businessman whose champagne music was welcomed into the living rooms of Middle America on Saturday nights for an unprecedented 27 years--the longest-running prime-time musical program in television history--has died, it was reported Monday. [citation needed], As of late 2007, Netherton had been living in Goshen, Indiana where he performed for holiday programs and entertaining local senior citizens at Greencroft Senior Center. By 1927, his six-piece band, L.W. During this period, the networks were in the process of eliminating programming that was seen as having either too old an audience, did not appeal to urban residents, or both (the so-called Rural Purge). Please enter valid email address to continue. His primary instrument was the piano. They spent the cold North Dakota winter of their first year inside an upturned wagon covered in sod. Welk was a reluctant farm boy who left his home near Strasburg, N.D., when he turned 21 for a career as an itinerant accordionist. He also bought and operated a series of small businesses, one of which featured an accordion-shaped grill that served a product called squeezeburgers. Little's version served as the opening and closing theme until the mid-1990s. Its in our nature, former astronaut says, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Report on Afghanistan pullout sugarcoats a Biden-Trump catastrophe, Christian F. Nunes: Abortion will drive the 2024 elections. Sod to Squeezeburgers. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. An accordion that was a family heirloom and occasionally played by his father, Ludwig, helped whet an early interest in music. Long tenure was common among the regulars. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Early life Netherton After retiring from his show and from the road in 1982, Welk continued to air reruns of his shows, which were repackaged first for syndication and, starting in 1986, for public television. A PBS documentary in March, 1987, on Welks life--with Kathy Lennon as host--received such good viewer response and fund-raising pledges that two years of reruns were syndicated. You learn a lot of things watching the old episodes. For that, he went virtually without praise from within the television industry. A man who got his start at North Dakota barn dances and spent years on ballroom bandstands across the country, he was known for a friendly demeanor, simple melodies and unswerving dedication to giving large and admiring family audiences the kind of entertainment they wanted and understood. The musical numbers were brief. In 1967, Welk left Dot Records and joined its former executive Randy Wood in creating Ranwood Records. He was a waiter at the Congressional Hotel from 1961 to 1971 and then at the National Democratic Club until retiring in 1978. Welk did not miss a beat, changing the name of his show to The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk. Singer Lois Best became his first Champagne Lady, and the musicians became champagne music makers. Welk got more letters than you could believe afterwards from people asking him how he could have allowed our legs to be shown on television, Lennon said. Bill was raised in Leachville, Arkansas until his early teens. After their divorce in 1984, the singers embarked on solo musical careers, with Hovis leaving music in 1990 to work as state director for Mississippi senator Trent Lott. Billy J. Bolin Sr., born December 17, 1924 went to his heavenly home on April 24, 2023. The Dinah Shore Chevy Show of January 20, 1963, was devoted entirely to masters of the piano, featuring Dinah Shore's four guests, Liberace, Peter Nero, Ray Charles and Big Tiny Little. On the other hand, mothers across America hoped their daughter could find a nice young man like Tom Netherton. He had been suffering from pneumonia, the spokeswoman said. Wunnerful!" He was sixth of the eight children of Ludwig and Christiana (Schwahn) Welk, Roman Catholic ethnic Germans who emigrated in 1892 from Odessa, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). From 1949 through 1951, the band had radio programming on ABC, sponsored by Miller High Life, "The Champagne of Bottle Beer". His wife, Gwendolyn B. Parker, died in 1972. Among them are the entire body of Jerome Kern's work, which Mr. Welk bought for $3.2 million in 1970. He received multiple awards and trips for sales during this time. Welk was raised on a farm in Strasburg, North Dakota, the child of German immigrants who made their way to the United States by way of the Ukraine. Brother of Anton Welk; John Welk; Barbara Deringer; Anna Mary Mattern; Ludwig "Louie" Welk and 3 others; Agatha Ternes; Michael L Welk and Eva R Welk less. Administration owns deaths of 13 service members, while Trump owns 'surrender', Since Roe v. Wade, Republicans by and large want to bury their heads in the sand, hoping that nobody is really paying attention. Welk did not learn to speak English until he was twenty-one and never felt comfortable speaking it in public. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? and that got to be a problem when he started working with a younger generation of people in the music business.. A visitation for Billy will be held Friday, April 28, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209. Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 May 17, 1992) was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk became an iconic figure in the German-Russian community of the northern Great Plainshis success story personified the American dream. Wunnerful!" 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. "Because Ive gotten older," she joked. Mr. Welk obtained his own instrument as a teenager, playing at farm weddings and other community events until he reached 21. Over the decades, Mr. Welk became, after Bob Hope, the second-wealthiest performer in show business, and his band and production company became the second-biggest tourist draw of Los Angeles, right behind Disneyland. Although Mr. Welk's musical style continually was cited for a frothy lightness characteristic of champagne, the bandleader himself was said to neither smoke nor drink. They were too poor to rent rooms, so they usually slept and changed clothes in their cars. My wife, who has a musical background, says the people on the Welk show are talented. As The Lawrence Welk Show fit into this category, ABC ended its run in 1971. She was such a blessing to him in his later years. At night, his father taught him to play an inexpensive accordion, and from the age of 13 he earned money playing at social gatherings. [26] Welk told the audience that he would not tolerate such "cheesecake" performances on his show; he later tried unsuccessfully to rehire the singer after fan mail indicated overwhelmingly that viewers opposed her dismissal. Larry attended country school, and worked with his 5 brothers and 4 sisters on the family farm until joining the military. Welk described his band's sound, saying, "We still play music with the champagne style, which means light and rhythmic. While many longtime TV shows suffered a serious ratings drop during the counterculture movement of the late 1960s, The Lawrence Welk Show survived largely intact and even had increased viewership during this time. His father is well-known enough to have his own Wikipedia page. Martin Weil is a longtime reporter at The Washington Post. You can cancel at any time. Lawrence Welk, the band leader whose folksy charm and bubbly brand of "Champagne music" shaped one of the longest-running shows in television history, died on Sunday evening at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. Even so, it was said, ABC was dubious about big bands' network broadcast appeal. He brought us to his dad and he brought us to Branson. The performers on the show appeared to be members of a family. As a businessman and the only son of Welk Sr., he took after his fathers business when he 1000 W. 26th St. S., Wichita, Kansas 67217, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Reflecting the controversies about the quality of Welk's music among the cognoscenti, In 1956, musical satirist Stan Freberg, known for his love of jazz, wrote and recorded a biting Welk satire, "Wunnerful! First published on January 3, 2020 / 2:12 PM. Welk was an unlikely candidate for national fame, but parlayed the German accent he picked up from his immigrant parents, charisma and a keen discernment of Middle Americas musical taste into a business empire founded on television, records and music publishing. Welks band was headquartered in Chicago during the 1940s, but continued with road shows that ultimately took him in 1951 to Santa Monicas Aragon Ballroom. Just keep going? The record (Decca 18698) was number 4 to Cooley's number 5 on Billboard's September 15 "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" listing. A spokeswoman told the Associated Press that Mr. Welk, whose shows have been television fixtures since 1955, died at home May 17 in Santa Monica, Calif., with family members gathered around. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. But Mr. Welk frowned on that. I enjoy "The Lawrence Welk Show" because of the emotions it generates. We place the stress on melody; the chords are played pretty much the way the composer wrote them. Welks company, Teleklew Inc., deals in music publishing, recordings and real estate, including hundreds of acres of residential investment property north of Escondido, a mobile home park near Palm Springs and an office and apartment complex in Santa Monica. Welk recalled in a 1978 interview with The Times how he once was spotted at a coffee shop in Macksville, Kan., and asked to make an unscheduled appearance at the towns combined elementary and high school. He had been treasurer of the Maryland Synod of the Lutheran Church of America for 26 years and treasurer of the National Lutheran Home for the Aged in Rockville for 16 years. Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 May 17, 1992) was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. Welk was a first cousin, once removed, of former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer (Welk's mother and Schweitzer's paternal grandmother were siblings). On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Lawrence Welk among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Lon was one of the television Champagne Ladies, the showcased singers intended to symbolize the essence of femininity. Sign up for service and obituary updates. As families watched together, they would comment about members of Welks musical family. In the early 1940s, the band began a 10-year stint at the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago, regularly drawing crowds of several thousand. Welk spokeswoman McGeehan said Monday that the reruns will continue at least through 1994. Welk viewers all have their favorite performers. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96, Jury in Kansas City awards $5.8M verdict against Nebraska-based real estate business, Grand Island man allegedly tries to stab two men with screwdriver, NW's Hettler wins 16-yard competition at Cornhusker Trap Shoot, Judge sends Lincoln woman to prison for 'heinous attack on two innocent individuals', Kearney man arrested after infant daughter suffers from burns, fractures, Former CHI Health St. Elizabeth nurse stole fentanyl from pharmacy, troopers allege. Reinventing a Show. In 1892 they came to this country to farm in Strasburg, N.D. The family kept growing, as these children had children giving Bill and Dorthea 20 great grandchildren. He listened to his audience, Lennon said. People who used to mock Lawrence Welk now appreciate him. Soon after, he met the love of his life while working and going to school in Milwaukee, WI. On January 11, 2018, Netherton's younger brother, Brad Netherton, announced on his Facebook page that the singer had died from pneumonia and the flu on January 7, 2018, at age 70. And he outlasted them all. Unthinkable.". Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. Husband of Fern Veronica Welk The Nethertons permanently settled in Bloomington, Minnesota in 1961. You can unsubscribe at any time. In a 1971 episode, Welk infamously billed the Brewer & Shipley single, "One Toke over the Line" (performed as a duet by Gail Farrell and Dick Dale), as a "modern spiritual"; social conservatives of the era saw it as subversive. He and his sisters (Bernice and Betty) moved to St. Louis to live with their Aunt Lella. The radio show led to many well-paying engagements for the band throughout the midwestern states. He was stationed in the Pacific during WWII. He and his wife, Fern, had three children, Shirley Jean, Donna Lee and Lawrence Jr. However, Welk took his un-hip show into syndication, playing on for another decade, while attracting an even larger audience, as many as 30 million people a week. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Mrs. Snyder, who lived in Alexandria, was a Washington native. His shows always included a "champagne lady," but one left in 1959 in a dispute over the length of her hemlines. On his 21st birthday, Welk left home and spent the next year or so living in motel rooms and in the back of touring cars as he and other itinerant musicians formed pickup groups to play in town squares and social halls. WebBorn in Worthington, Minnesota, United States, and the son of Tiny Little, Sr., a prominent musician and bandleader, Big Tiny Little, Jr. first took up playing piano at the age of five, Welk was raised on a farm in Strasburg, North Dakota, the child of German immigrants who made their way to the United States by way of the Ukraine. . [3] An obituary appeared on the Nashville Funeral and Cremation web site.[4]. But Mr. Welk also showed a deeper understanding of that success. Generally, the big production numbers featuring dancing and singing performances were recorded earlier in the day or the day before, often at famous recording studios in and around nearby Hollywood, while the more intimate numbers were recorded live on tape or film. Sophisticates might have found corniness in Mr. Welk's easy-listening, easy-to-watch style, but for many Americans it was, in the artlessly enthusiastic phrase he made popular, "wunnerful, wunnerful.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Vilmer Nelson, 70, a financial analyst who retired as secretary-treasurer of the Government National Mortgage Association, died of cardiac arrest May 15 at a hospital in Palm City, Fla. Mr. Nelson was born in Racine, Wis. In 1951, he began four highly successful years on a Los Angeles television station. In 1944, she transferred to the National Bureau of Standards. Enter your email below to receive a grief support message from us each day for a year. Donations in his honor may be sent to the Hospice Foundation, 2601 Airport Drive, No. "Our band is called corny and sentimental," he said on one occasion. Welk replied, "Well, if it's good enough for you, George, I guess it's good enough for me. Refurbishment of Welk's birthplace, a related project, used private funds. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. But thats n. Let others know about your loved one's death. These projects failed, but his fortunes improved as he led bigger bands in ballrooms and hotels in bigger towns and on radio, mostly in the Midwest. It was in Pittsburgh, where his shows were played on the radio, that Welks music was described as light and frothy--like champagne. He agreed to work on the family farm until he was 21, and turn over all the money he made by performing at social functions, playing his own prized $400 accordion. WebOBITUARIES Henry Cuesta, 71; Clarinetist Played With Lawrence Welk's Orchestra. The singing Lennon Sisters--Janet, Kathy, Peggy and Dianne--said later that they felt working for Welk put them in a time warp. 2023 Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory. He led big bands in North Dakota and eastern South Dakota, including the Hotsy Totsy Boys and the Honolulu Fruit Gum Orchestra.
