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12
THE
OBITUARY
George W . Armstrong, Jr.
George W. Armstrong, Jr., since 1926
chairman of the Board of the Baldwin
Piano Co., and for twelve years previous
president of that company whose service he
entered as a boy in 1874, died at his home
in Cincinnati on June 27. He was seventy-
four years old.
Mr. Armstrong was born in Cincinnati in
18S7 and made his home there during his
entire life. He attended the public schools
and, when sixteen years old, entered the em-
ploy of D. H. Baldwin. He advanced rap-
idly in the business and, in 1884, became a
partner, being elected vice-president upon
the incorporation of the firm in 1901. Dur-
ing his active years he played a prominent
part in the building of Baldwin success.
Mr. Armstrong was a member of the Queen
City Club, was a Shriner and was affiliated
with other organizations, including the Art
Museum and the College of Music. He was
particularly noted for his many philanthropies
and took an active interest in civic affairs,
being a member of the first charter commit-
tee that revised the Cincinnati charter in
1917. He is survived by his son, Gregg
Armstrong.
Bernhard Henry Janssen
Bernhard Henry Janssen, so long and
popularly known throughout the piano trade
as Ben Janssen, the poet laureate of the in-
dustry, died at his summer home in Fair-
field, Conn., on July 10 after a lengthy ill-
ness. He was seventy years old.
Mr. Janssen was born in Germany and
came to the United States with his parents
when very young, settled in Newark, N. J.,
where he went to school. He was engaged
in the piano business for many years as presi-
dent and founder of the Janssen Piano Co.,
and was also treasurer of the Howard-
Stowers Co., a director of the American En-
caustic Filing Co., president of the Piano
Crafters Guild, and former president of the
New York Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion. He was a member of various organiza-
tions, including the New York Athletic Club.
When local and national association meet-
ings were the real gathering places of the
life of the trade Mr. Janssen was always an
active figure and his practice of expressing
his views in verse won him a wide repu-
tation and many friends.
He is survived by a son, Webster E. Jans-
sen, treasurer of the Janssen Piano Co., and
two daughters.
Otto Wissner
Otto Wissner, for many years a well-known
piano manufacturer of Brooklyn, N. Y., died
at his home in that city on July 17 after a
brief illness. He was in his eightieth year.
Mr. Wissner was born in Germany and
started in the piano business in that country.
When he came to New York as a youth he
continued in the same business and eventu-
ally, in 1878, opened his own establishment
in Brooklyn. Later he organized the Wissner
Piano Co., and eventually operated a number
of retail stores throughout the Metropolitan
MUSIC
TRADE
district of New York and in other large cen-
ters. Mr. Wissner is survived by two sons,
William O. and Otto, who were associated
in the piano business with him, and by four
daughters.
REVIEW,
August-September,
1932
home in Flushing, N. Y., recently. He was
seventy-one years old and in addition to
piano selling was well known as an organist
and choral instructor. He is survived by a
widow and three daughters.
James Sydney Holmes
George W . Logan
James Sydney Holmes, a member of the
firm of Holmes, Munsey and Holmes, New
York, trade-mark counselors, and formerly
an active figure in the piano trade, having
been associated with Henry and S- G. Lin-
deman, died at his home in East Orange, N.
J., on July 28. He was sixty-seven years
old and is survived by two sons, Harold S.
and Edward H. Holmes, and one daughter.
George W. Logan, for many years a piano
salesman for Weser Bros., New York, died in
the Morristown, N. J., Memorial Hospital on
August 18. He was seventy-six years old
and had served two terms as mayor of his
home town of Boonton, N. J.
John G . Erck
John G. Erck, a well-known piano mer-
chant of Brooklyn, N. Y., died suddenly in
that city recently as the result of a heart
attack. He was seventy-four years old.
Mr. Erck was born in Germany and went
to the West Indies as a young man, where
he remained until 1880, in which year he
came to the United States and became asso-
ciated with William Knabe & Co., piano
manufacturers. During his career he con-
fined his activities to the retail division of
the business, managing stores in various cities
for Jacobs Bros., Knabe & Co., Mathushek
& Sons Piano Co., and the May Co., Cleve-
land. From 1908 to 1917 he operated his
own business in New York and in 1922
again established his own business, which he
conducted up to the time of his death in
association with his son, under the title John
G. Erck & Son. The latter, Charles D.,
will continue the business. In addition to
his son Mr. Erck is survived by his widow
and two daughters.
Edwin J. Mclntire
Percy S. Foster
Percy S. Foster, for many years proprietor
of the Percy S. Foster Piano Co., Washing-
ton, D. C, and also for many years secretary
of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants, died at his home in Washington re-
cently in his sixty-ninth year. In addition
to his piano business Mr. Foster was na-
tionally known as a chorus director. He be-
gan the study of music when twelve years
of age and was a church organist at fifteen.
William J. Sprunger
William J. Sprunger, who for a number
of years operated a successful music store in
Berne, Ind., until ill health caused his re-
tirement, died in that city on July 21. He
was sixty-four years old.
Conrad Carl Christensen
Conrad Carl Christensen, proprietor of the
Gateway Music Shop, Niles, Mich., died in
that city recently after an illness of several
months. He was 40 years old and is sur-
vived by his widow and one son.
Alfred Alexander Taylor
Alfred Alexander Taylor, one of the pio-
Edwin J. Mclntire, proprietor of the Pipei- neer music dealers in Tacoma, Wash., died
Mclntire Music Store, Manchester, N. II.,
died suddenly at his home in that city on at his home in that city recently. He was
sixty-nine years old and came from Phila-
August 20. He was sixty-eight years old.
delphia to Tacoma in 1889, where he es-
Mr. Mclntire was born in York, Me., and tablished the A. A. Taylor Music Co., which
when he was seventeen years old entered operated for over thirty years. Mr. Taylor
the Chickering factory in Boston, where he
remained for ten years. He then joined the retired from active business in 1927. He is
Prescott Piano Co., in Concord, N. H., and survived by his widow and one daughter.
in 1895 came to Manchester, where he bought
Fred C . Philpitt
out the C. C. Trickey Music Store. Shortly
thereafter he formed a partnership with the
Fred C. Philpitt, secretary of S. Ernest
late Fred Piper, which continued until Mr. Philpitt & Son, Miami, Fla., and elder brother
Piper's death some time ago. He was a mem- of S. Ernest Philpitt, founder and president
ber of various trade associations as well as of the company, died in that city on August
of the Masonic fraternity and various local
14 from the effects of an operation, after
business and social clubs.
several years of poor health. The remains
Funeral services were held on August 23 were taken to Philpitt's former home, in
Washington, D. C, for interment.
and were attended by several members of
the music trade, including A. M. Wright,
formerly president of the Mason & Hamlin
Otto R. Stiehm
Co., E. T. Jenks, of Steinert & Sons, and
Otto
R.
Stiehm,
aged forty-eight, secretary
D. D. Luxton, of the Vose & Sons Piano Co.
and office manager of the Edmund Gram,
Mr. Mclntire is survived by his widow and
Inc., music house, Milwaukee, Wis., died
two brothers.
suddenly on August 26, at his home, after
a heart attack. He became associated with
Andrew H. Mangold
Edmund Gram in 1908 and was connected
Andrew H. Mangold, for many years con- with the music house steadily for twenty-
nected with the retail piano trade in New four years. Besides being secretary, he was
York City, having been manager of retail accountant and credit manager for the firm.
stores for various concerns, including the
Surviving Mr. Stiehm are his wife, Mrs.
Baldwin Piano Co., Christman & Sons, Wiss- Julia Wolff Stiehm; a son, Reynold, of Elk-
ner Piano Co., etc., died suddenly in his hart, Ind., and a daughter, Marie Claudia.