(printed by permission of the author, Joe Boley)
July 6, 2003: The following is for "publication".
A notable musician in Great Bend during the 1930's was JOHN TAFF, the father of MARY LOU FRYBERGER. JOHN TAFF and MARY RUSSELL were married January 1, 1923 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They lived in Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City before moving to Great Bend, Kansas when MARY LOU was in kindergarten. He did not have a teaching certificate but was a master musician and had an active career playing French Horn in several organizations. Namely, the Omaha Symphony and Civic Band, the Kansas City Symphony and Municipal Band, the Colorado Midland Railroad Band of Colorado Springs and the Johnny Richards Band of Chicago. He also played in the Civic Opera Company Orchestra in Chicago, the Chicago Symphony, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and City Band, the Tulsa Shrine Band, the professional Frederick Innes Band and the popular Rubinoff Orchestra. His theater experience included playing in the "pit orchestra" for the Newman, Orpheum and Midland theaters of Kansas City. His experience with the Innes band led to an invitation to play with the famous John Phillip Sousa band.
MR. TAFF was guest conductor for the Great Bend City Band (the regular director was Domingo Scotti at this time), organized a community orchestra, assisted with the band at GBHS, maintained an instrument repair service (later purchased by Loyal Komarek) and taught private lessons on all wind instruments (usually for .75 an hour, but more often they were free). His versatile life style found him working not only as a professional musician and director, but also as a music salesman for the Lewis Music Co. in Tulsa, Oklahoma and as a painter for the Fenn Paint Shop in Great Bend. In 1934 he and the high school band director, C.E. Hadley, organized a Great Bend High School Drum & Bugle Corps. The sixteen member group proved to be a successful organization even though it was in existence for only one year.
The Shreveport (Louisiana) Youth Symphony Orchestra, hired MR. TAFF as their conductor in 1941. But, following the outbreak of World War II, he returned to Great Bend and continued to be engaged in the instrument repair business. Area school musicians and the Army Aircorps Band members stationed at the Great Bend Army Air Field found his workmanship and experience to be quite acceptable.
MARY LOU (FRYBERGER) recalls that on one of their family trips they visited Memphis, Tennessee and observed a drum and bugle corps competition. This inspired her father to engage in creating another drum and bugle corps organization in Great Bend.
In September of 1947, JOHN TAFF was called upon by Rev. Joseph Tockert, acting pastor of the St. Rose Catholic Church, to organize and train a drum and bugle corps made up of St. Rose Boy and Girl Scouts. Their first public appearance was a successful farewell program for the Rev. John Butler.
The corps was sponsored by the local council of the Knights of Columbus, with business manager Harold Kunzelman, director and organizer JOHN TAFF, and a staff including Tony Schartz, Bernie Weiser and other KofC council and parish members whose names have been lost in time.
Early members were: Frances Bassett, Tim Brown, Dicky Dailey, Janiece Dailey, Janey Doherty, Chas Dreiling, Duane Dwyer, Kay Fugger, Edward Hickel, Fred Hoff, Patricia Hoffman, Dale Horn, Elmer Huslig, Gerald Kerbs, Harold Kunzelman, Johnny Kunzelman, Leopold Leiker, Raymond Meyeres, Toni Marie Schartz, Zita Schartz, Jimmy Schiel, Jimmy Schommer, Junior Schommer, Billy Joe Spanier and Richard Von Felt. (source: Great Bend newspaper 1947). Ellen "punky" Ford and Louis Grubb were also members of the early corps.
Their second performance was for the K of C club members. Over the next few month they made other local and area appearances in parades, concerts and participated in several ceremonies at the Dodge City Cathedral. However due to financial problems the American Legion, Argonne Post 180, assumed sponsorship of the corps in 1948. Membership was thence open to any area youths and JOHN TAFF and other volunteers continued to train and instruct the group.
Performances and instruction continued through the year. In March, 1949, JOHN TAFF was still conductor and was preparing the corps to appear at the State American Legion Convention to be held at Pratt, KS. It would be their first appearance in new uniforms of blue capes with gold lining, matching caps, white shirt and white pants. Unfortunately JOHN P. TAFF, age 70, died suddenly of a heart attack at his home, 1423 Lakin, on March 28, 1949.*
One question of mystery that is usually asked, "where did the name REBEL come from?" - the connotation of "north" and "south" really doesn't fit our area; but, it was an era of minor youth rebellion (well, in the eyes of some) so that would fit; however, the story that usually is circulated is that the name caught on when the fans or a fan in the stands would give a boisterous "rebel yell" of enthusiasm and pride as Argonne was on the ready line and all set for the step off. Several "administrative" meetings were held to try to adopt a new name, but REBELS always won out!
Sincerely,
Joe Boley
*Obituary: John P. Taff was born March 22, 1879 at Kansas City, MO. and lived in Great Bend for 18 years. He was survived by his wife, Mary R. Taff, and children, Mrs. Alice Dodds, Mrs. Mary Lou Fryberger and Ralph Taff.
Pallbearers were: L.R. Bingham, Cyril Denning, Richard Scheck, J.P. Murphy, Ray Schultz and Harold Kunzelman.
He is buried at E 1/2 Lot 180 Sec L.