Since he played the clarinet in the American Band, Nelson Dean Jay, seventeen years old, took his place to the right of the conductor, sitting on a wooden folding chair beside Frank Shively, a skilled carpenter on his right, and Earl Runyon, a butcher on his left. Joking with his friends, Jay placed the music on his stand and opened his instrument case.
Year: 2017
Writing, Just for the Heck of It
It’s my daughter’s fault. She’s responsible for ruining my retirement. I’ve had no trips to Europe, few days to go fishing, and fewer days to sleep late. I spend my free time working at the computer.
Chapter One Galesburg, Illinois – June 6, 1960 Graduation Day at Knox College
On June 6, 1960, we seniors were thinking about our future, but Jay may well have been remembering moments from his past. There were certainly memorable ones.
Introduction: Lunch with Friends at 58 Avenue Foch
Lunch with Friends is more than a modern version of a Horatio Alger story. A young man from a small town in Illinois graduated from a little known college in the Midwest, left for the big city to seek his fortune, and fell in love with a young woman from a socially prominent family from St. Louis. According to a member of the Jays, he “married up.” His career began by going door-to-door peddling pots and pans on the streets of Galesburg, Illinois, to selling bonds, first in Milwaukee and later in New York, to those with fortunes to invest.
Preface: Lunch with Friends at 58 Avenue Foch
An obituary is not a biography; however, an obituary is about the most we can expect when we are gone. After examining the Jays’ lives, I had to decide whether an obituary was sufficient or not for the time they spent on this earth. It was not.
The Trailer
Please visit Dad's blog to view a four minute video trailer of what has kept him busy the last 10+ years.
The Miracle on March 5, 1957
Elmwood had been waiting more than thirty years for the chance to beat the mythical Canton Little Giants.
Stories From Small Town Illinois 