International Jazz Banjo Newsletter

Mankato banjoist and former Free Press newsman Lowell H. Schreyer, 78, died peacefully at his home, November 9, 2007, of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at Immanuel Lutheran Church with Rev. Wayne Eichstadt officiating. Burial will be in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery in Mankato. Visitation will be from 4 – 8 p.m., Tuesday at Mankato Mortuary and one hour before the service at the church on Wednesday.

A member of the Mankato Free Press news staff for nearly 14 years, late 1950s through the 1960s, he covered education, Blue Earth County government, flood disasters, major fires, traffic fatalities, crime, Vietnam War demonstrations, 4-H events, and entertainment in addition to writing feature stories. Visiting celebrities whom he interviewed included Eleanor Roosevelt, actor Hal Holbrook, dancer Ray Bolger, Grand Old Opry star Grandpa Jones, the comic Smothers Brothers, banjoist Earl Scruggs, crooner Rudy Vallee, movie star Basil Rathbone, publisher Bennett Cerf, flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya, ragtime pianist Max Morath and “Music Man” composer Meredith Willson.

He covered the first International Plowing Contests near Vernon Center and was on the entertainment committee that brought stars such as Roy Rogers and Bob Hope to entertain at those farm events.

Schreyer's favorite continuing assignment was covering the adventures of Rapidan hired man Charlie Poliquin and his “See Scout” boat struggling down the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers bound for South America.

In his secondary occupation as a professional banjoist, Schreyer played on the Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen steamboats on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; under the baton of guest conductor Arthur Fiedler with the Minnesota Orchestra; and with the Marigold Dixielanders, Michael's Minstrels, the Elmer Scheid polka band, the Turkey River All-stars dixieland band, Terry Powell's Honky Tonk Revival, the Katzenjamers and other southern Minnesota bands. He also played banjo at Shakey's pizza parlors. Most recently he played with the Blue Ox Jazz Babies made up largely of old musician friends from the Marigold Dixielanders.

He and daughter Debbie played at the New Orleans World Fair and in 1988 toured Germany as a banjo duo with an International Banjo Festival concert group. After retirement from journalism, Schreyer played throughout the United States and overseas with the promotional dixieland jazz band of US Air and also toured coast-to-coast with the “Riverboat Ragtime Revue” on community concert circuits.

When members of his family grew up following Schreyer's musical bent, his favorite performing group was their “Schreyer Banjos” unit consisting of daughter Debbie and himself on banjos, son Ted on tuba, string bass and bass sax, and son-in-law Tom Owens on string bass, washboard and vocals. They were featured in various combinations at major jazz and banjo events including the St. Louis Ragtime Festival, the Sacramento Banjorama, the American Banjo Fraternity 50th Anniversary Concert, the Allenberry, Pa., Banjo Massacre, the Guthrie, Okla., Jazz Banjo Festival, the LaCrosse Banjo Jamboree, a Twin Cities Jazz Society concert, and many Fretted Instrument Guild of America conventions. The group recorded one CD, “Schreyer Banjos: Showboat to New Orleans.” Lowell also sat in on the Debbie Schreyer Trio “Banjo on the Boardwalk” CD made during her seven-year engagement at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City. He played in the banjo orchestra at the 10th Anniversary Banjo Collectors' Gathering in Philadelphia November 3.

Schreyer's first banjo job was with the Roamers old-time band in his hometown of New Ulm during his high school years. He played all types of banjo—tenor, plectrum, classic five-string and minstrel—as well as zither, mandolin, drums and balalaika.

As much as he loved banjo playing, he loved his family more. As a result, he turned down offers to become a fulltime professional banjoist that would have kept him away from the family overly long.

Combining his interests in writing and banjo history research, Schreyer became nationally and internationally known in banjo circles for his articles and columns in fretted instrument publications such as BMG of London, England, and the FIGA magazine of the Fretted Instrument Guild of America. He authored chapters on the banjo in the books Ragtime: Its History, Music and Composers (1985) and The Banjo on Record: A Bio-Discography (1993). He also did a biography, The Eddie Peabody Story, (2000) on the famous professional banjoist who first inspired him to take up banjo as a teen-ager. Schreyer's most recent book was The Banjo Entertainers: Roots to Ragtime (2007).

In recognition of his banjo performance and writing, he was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 1997 and the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame in 2002.

Schreyer was born in New Ulm, Minn., Sept. 10, 1929, to Roman and Irma (Fritsche) Schreyer. He attended Washington School and St. Paul's Lutheran Grade School and graduated from New Ulm High School in 1947.

After his freshman year at Gustavus Adolphus College and sophomore year at Mankato State Teachers College, he took a break from schooling to work as a reporter and advertising man at the New Ulm Review. At the same time, he started his musical career performing on early live radio in New Ulm as “Hector and His Banjo” with the KNUJ Trail Riders country western band.

During the Korean War he went on active duty with the Minnesota Army National Guard, 1950-52. Once back in civilian life, he played with Rod Morris and his Missourians and Cotton Nixon and the Boll Weevils in Arkansas before returning to Mankato State College to continue his higher education under the GI Bill. He graduated with a B.S. degree in December of 1956 and immediately went to work as a reporter at the Mankato Free Press. In 1970 Schreyer was invited to become director of the Mankato State University News Service. Continuing his banjo activities on weekends and summer breaks, he held that position until his retirement in 1992.

He is survived by his loving and supportive wife Margaret (Woods) whom he married July 18, 1959; two sons, Tim of Chromo, Colo., and Ted and wife Vickie of Mankato; two daughters, Debbie and husband Tom Owens of Maplewood and Dori and husband Scott Murray of Cincinnati, Ohio; eight grandchildren, Natalie, Jarrod, Jessica and Collin Schreyer of Mankato and Jack, Sammy Jo, Danny and Josie Murray of Cincinnati; one brother, Gene and wife Grace of Mankato and their children, Julianna, Brent and Christiana; and three sisters-in-law, Mary and husband Marvin Schweim of Mankato, Doris Woods and Darlene Woods of rural Lake Crystal; and additional nieces and nephews.

Lowell and wife Margaret were active as chaperones with the Schreyer family in organizing and touring with the original 77 Lancers bands. The Schreyer family was inducted into the Lancer Hall of Fame in 2007.

A member of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Mankato, he served as congregational secretary for 43 years. Memorials may be directed to the Immanuel Lutheran Grade and High School tuition trust fund, the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum Eddie Peabody Film Restoration Fund, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, or the donor's choice.

One of Lowell's final writing projects was this obituary. ( Jan. 6, 2007)