Richard’s class picture Richard Wienhorst was born on April 21, 1920, in Seymour, Indiana, a small town south of Indianapolis. Richard William Wienhorst became skilled not only on piano and saxophone .

There is a class picture in first or second grade, but he had scarlet fever and was not in the picture. Grandma Wienhorst cut a picture of Richard out and pasted it into the class picture so that he looked like he had been part of the group. [Johanna Tunon, 2001]

Richard Wienhorst wrote: “I started piano in second grade. I worked in the grocery story – putting farmer’s eggs in cartons, getting old ladies’ orders, and I trimmed store windows using crepe paper. I started to play the sax in fifth grade – played in the Walther League “jazz” band – played in the Jackson’s county Farm Bureau Band.

I was interested in carpentry and built some strange things. My cousins and I were interested in sports – especially basketball. We had a hoop in Brunow’s yard and practiced there. I played on the Home Room basketball team one year as a center. Cousin Loren played on the Seymour team. Cousin Willis was on the Frank\fort High School Basketball team the year they won the state championship. I was a good high jumper, and the track coach wanted me on the team. I competed once but dropped it since I couldn’t find time to go to practices.