RENOWN INDIVIDUALS
Brown, Roy Wesley  Biography: (1906 – 1985) In 1940, he married Elsie May Wood Claims: Studied music in Winnipeg, becoming proficient as an instrumentalist on several instruments. He organized the only orchestra in Canada having a saxophone section comprised of all brothers. The orchestra gained national recognition during the Big Band Era when it played at Riding Mountain National Park, the Cave Cabaret in Winnipeg, ballrooms in Brandon and gave radio broadcasts. Composer. Writer. Inventor. Brown received the Ralph Nader Award for his invention of the “Pre-Vent”. This device helped to stop snow from entering the defrost system of automobiles (at a time when vents were on top of the hood), frosting up the inside of windows and causing accidents Roy later became a well-known and influential Brandon and Area historian. Probable Significance: Source: Trails to Killarney p / Reflections p. 223, 118, 176 Images: As Above: Content: Some additional information  Brown’s Orchestra (1960) Percy, Tom, Roy, Joe , Frank From the Local History Sources... Roy took his first music lessons from his Uncle John, then took lessons from Miss Runnings, who taught piano in Killarney. He later studied music in Winnipeg, becoming proficient as an instrumentalist on several instruments. He also studied orchestral arranging. He organized the only orchestra in Canada having a saxophone section comprised of all brothers. The orchestra gained national recognition during the Big Band Era when it played at Riding Mountain National Park, the Cave Cabaret in Winnipeg, ballrooms in Brandon and gave radio broadcasts. LOOKING BACK by Roy Brown Every year or two, I go back to Pleasant View Farm to stand on the hill overlooking the Pembina Valley and the farm where we once lived. And, as I reflect those won- derful days, I can recall the following events: the happy times we five brothers spent playing in the elm bush; digging for artifacts in the buffalo deadfalls; the tents we made from Dad's binder canvass (which had to be taken down come harvest); the eggs we used to boil in a tin pail over a campfire (sometimes finding a chicken embryo); the hockey games we played using a frozen horse bun and a willow stick; the annual Northcote school concerts and the dances that followed; the Night Owl parties that continued through the night and we had difficulty getting home because of an untimely blizzard; the baseball tournaments in Masons' pasture in the Tisdale District; the excitement getting ready for the Killarney Fair - mother busy making butter and bread for competition and dad grooming his favorite horse for the horse and buggy event; the times we snuck away from the fair and had a "bare scotty" swim in the lake; the music emanating from Kosy Kove Dances from Cross and King's pavilion; Penwick Hunter's boat rides on the lake during the Fair and special events; the many hours I spent chording on the piano while Uncle Dick practiced up for the next party; the trips to town every summer Saturday night and we five boys standing in line to receive "change" (for ice cream cones in either Kent's or the McKnight store) from Dad and he would warn us to be back at the "Grey Dort" no later than 11:30 or we would have to walk home over a dusty road in the dark. As I stand on that hill, I can still hear our mother calling us to dinner. Ah! those were the good times - would that they could be repeated. Lawrence, George (See Early Politicians) |