Delta Queen Band Leader Glenn Wilson

WILSON, OVROM, SIMMONS, LOWE, CHANEY, HENRY, STURDIVANT, RICE, HORNBAKER, LEE

Posted By: Rich Lowe (email)
Date: 7/5/2024 at 09:40:54

Mary-Go-Round
By Mary Ovrom
Circa 1986

Our first night aboard the Mississippi River’s Delta Queen, we went to the big dinging room with the other 178 passengers for the evening’s musical entertainment.

Our cruise director, Irene Atman, introduced members of the Riverboat Five, saving the director until last.

“And nowwwww,” said Irene, with appropriate fanfare, “the leader of our band, Mr. Glenn Wilson from Bonaparte, Iowa.”

Well, you could have scooped Art and me up off the floor, we were so surprised. Here we were cruising up the Mississippi, hundreds of miles from home, and our band leader was from a neighboring Van Buren County town.

At first opportunity, we hunted up Mr. Wilson, and sure enough, he was born and reared in Bonaparte, attending school there through ninth grade, when the family moved to Burlington.

Now 54, Wilson is in his second season with the Delta Queen, serving as band leader, clarinetist, saxophonist and vocalist.

His fellow band members jokingly call him Santa Claus because of his slightly-rounded figure and nice white beard.

He remembers starting the clarinet under the tutelage of George Simmons, who was instrumental music teacher at Bonaparte. He continued his musical education in Burlington, where at one time he sold organs for the Mundt Piano and Organ Company.

For several years he played in jazz bands in New Orleans, but Wilson said it’s no longer possible to make a living doing this since so many of the musical groups there have gone to country or rock music.

Wilson usually works six weeks aboard the Delta Queen, then has two weeks off. He and his wife, Mary Ann, live in Slidell, La., near New Orleans, and have two grown daughters, Sandra and Sharon.

Although it’s been years since he lived in Van Buren County, Wilson has very fond memories of the area and said he would like to live there again.

He returns to the area fairly often since he is now involved in genealogical research when he has time off from his music.

His research includes the Chaney, Lowe, Henry and Sturdivant families, and he has had assistance from Van Buren genealogist Ramona Clark of Stockport. Others he credits with helping him are Sharon Wolfe, as well as personnel in the county clerk’s office such as Brenda Gaston and Jean Downward.

The Wilson family lived in what is now Oscar Pender’s home in Bonaparte. June Hornbaker Rice, whose brother Bruce married Wilson’s mother Lillian Lowe, remembers that music was always the focal point of Glenn Wilson’s life. Wilson also is related to Nina Lee of Keosauaua.

Boyhood memories include visiting his uncle, Percy Lowe, and riding his bicycle around the scenic hills in and near Bonaparte, as well as listening — avidly — to the WHO Bard Dance Frolic.

Once when the stars of that show, Jerry and Zelda, were to appear in person at the Campus Theater in Keosauqua, Wilson begged a ride from Bonaparte to Keosauqua with Roy Pickard and his wife.

“That was one of my early thrills,” he said.

Wilson listened with interest when we told him about the recent efforts of Bonaparte and area residents to buy out the Rollo White business buildings to inject new life in the community.

“I’ll have to get back to see that, “he said.

Note: Cousin Glenn passed away at age 85 June 2017 in Clermont, Lake, Fl. We shared a passion for Genealogy.

Cousins left to right: Rich Lowe, Karen Lowe Duncan, Glenn Eugene Wilson at Port of Burlington

Van Buren Documents maintained by Rich Lowe.
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