He Has Played His Last Note

My notes, skeletal though they are, give some notion of how much dancing was done over the years to the music of Charles Wesley Spencer's violin.

A masquerade dance will be given by W.K. Deitz at Deep River on Washington's birthday, on the evening of Feb. 22d[, 1901]. Music will be furnished by Spencer and Pierce.

A public dance under the management of Ed. Maybaum will be given in Sauter's hall at Ainsworth on Saturday evening, Dec. 12[, 1903]. Music will be furnished by the Spencer orchestra. Tickets per couple, 50 cents.

A masquerade ball will be given by J. Miller in Sauter's hall at Ainsworth on Saturday evening, Feb. 6[, 1904]. Music by Spencer's orchestra. Tickets, per couple, 50 cents.

Ed Maybaum and Jud Blachly have gotten out bills for a series of dancing parties [in 1905] in Sauter's hall at Ainsworth. Prof. C.W. Spencer will furnish the music.

A public dance under the management of Bodamer and Hovel will be given this (Friday) evening [October 19, 1906] in Dietz hall at Deepriver. Music will be furnished by the Spencer orchestra. Tickets will be 50 cents per couple.

A public dance will be given in the public hall at Ainsworth on Saturday evening, June 15[, 1907]. Tickets will be 50 cents and the Spencer orchestra will furnish the music.

A public dance will be given in the hall at Ainsworth on Friday evening, Oct. 4[, 1907]. Music by the Spencer orchestra. All are cordially invited.

A masquerade ball will be given at Ainsworth on Saturday evening of next week, Jan. 8[, 1909]. Music will be furnished by the Spencer orchestra. Tickets will be 75 cents per couple. Prizes will be given to the gentleman and lady wearing the most handsome costumes; also to the gentleman and lady wearing the most comical costumes.

A Harvest Home dance will be given by the married people in the vicinity of Deepriver in the hall at that place on Saturday evening of this week [December 3, 1910] and while it is given by the married people all young people will be welcome. The music will be furnished by the Spencer orchestra from this place. The tickets will be 50 cents per couple.

A masquerade dance will be given this week Saturday evening [January 7, 1911] in the hall at Ainsworth and a cordial invitation is extended. Prizes will be awarded for the best and most comic characters represented by both sexes. The Spencer orchestra will furnish the music.

There will be a masquerade ball at Ainsworth hall on Saturday evening, Feb. 17th[, 1912]. Spencer will furnish the music and tickets will be 75¢ per couple. Prizes will be given those wearing the handsomest and most comical costumes.

Charles is also interesting to us (well, to me) as the brother of Orsemus Spencer, who married Lucy Hanks, sister of Harriet.


(Click on image to enlarge)

The News stated that he was to be buried in Hobart Cemetery, but I cannot find him in the Hobart Township cemetery listing compiled by the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society.


Sources:
♦ "C.W. Spencer, Hobart Pioneer, Passes Away." Hobart News 1 July 1920.
♦ "General News Items." Hobart Gazette 1 Feb. 1901, 4 Dec. 1903; 29 Jan. 1904; 7 Apr. 1905; 19 Oct. 1906; 7 June 1907; 4 Oct. 1907.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 31 Dec. 1909; 2 Dec. 1910; 6 Jan. 1911; 16 Feb. 1912.
♦ "Obituary." Hobart Gazette 9 July 1920.