Raymond Skeets Botdorf This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. The Times-Reporter

   www.timesreporter.com/left.php - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/18/2003   Last Visited: 8/18/2003

   A man and his trumpet -- Raymond Botdorf has had a lifelong love of music The Times-Reporter
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   A man and his trumpet -- Raymond Botdorf has had a lifelong love of music
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   Raymond "Skeets" Botdorf has been entertaining others with his musical talents the past 77 years - and he has no intention of stopping any time soon.
   
   The 87-year-old Dover native began taking trumpet lessons from the late L.H. Alexander, Dover High band director, when he was 10 years old.
   
   Raymond recalled that during the years of the Great Depression money was scarce, so he mowed Alexander's yard and pulled weeds to receive free lessons.
   
   Raymond's love of music was never far from his mind. While many of his friends were playing football, Raymond was making Dover High fans proud in another capacity. When Raymond was a high school sophomore, the Dover High Concert Band won the 1933 National Championship.
   
   "We traveled to Chicago by bus. The competition was judged on concert music and sight-reading. The musical piece we had to sight-read was very rare and everyone but Norm Zollar dropped out. Norm kept playing his French horn and soon the band was able to join him and we finished the music. We were the only band able to do that," Raymond said.
   
   While in high school Raymond played with the Herbert Davis orchestra and was an original member of the former Shively-Yates Orchestra, which was formed in the early 1930s. Raymond played trumpet in the band for 20 years, with the exception of the five years he spent in the Army during World War II.
   
   Raymond recalled that in 1936, the Shively-Yates musicians performed 296 nights. In 1937 the band had 298 engagements.
   
   Over the years Raymond has also performed with the Lew Woods Orchestra, the Johnny Meese Orchestra and the Wellington Wallick Band as well as several other small bands in the area.
   
   When Raymond's son, Brian, organized Jericho, a 17-piece area band popular about 20 years ago, Raymond played trumpet.
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   Raymond currently plays with Recollections, the Dominic Greco Memorial Band and the Melody Makers, a group that plays at Memorial Hall and in area nursing homes.
   
   When playing with Recollections, Raymond performs his signature number, "Sugar Blues."
   
   For the past 12 years, Raymond has played taps at funeral services for area veterans.
   
   Raymond, who grew up on Race St. was a son of the late William and Beryl Botdorf.
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   After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Raymond was assigned to the 37th Infantry Division, which included the 135th field artillery band. He later was assigned to the 97th Infantry Division at Camp Swift in Texas.
   
   Raymond said there were 50 members in the Army band that played for the troops and at officers clubs.
   
   Band members also served as guards around the post. Raymond carried a knife on his belt made by the late "Mooney" Warther of Dover. "My mother purchased the knife and had my name carved on it. Many Army officers wanted to know where that knife was made," Raymond said.
   
   Raymond expected to be deployed to Japan after VE Day. When military officials saw the points he had acquired in the Army and the fact he had served five years, he was sent home.
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   Raymond and his wife Betty were married in 1950 and, with the exception of three years, have resided in Dover for their entire marriage.
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   Raymond enjoys gardening and is active in the Tuscarawas County Historical Society. He also was an avid bowler and golfer.
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   A man and his trumpet -- Raymond Botdorf has had a lifelong love of music
   
   A dynamo -- There's just no stopping Barnhill's Laura Russell