SPITALNY, A CLASS ACT!

In the summer of 1958, after graduating from High School at 17 and before turning 18 that fall, I was working as an apprentice at the Aaron-Ruben Funeral Home in Indianapolis.  The job was that of a glorified gofer that got to wear a suit at least part of the time.  Aaron-Ruben was the only Jewish funeral home in the state of Indiana.  Irv Ruben also ran Hoosier Monument up Meridian Street and ran a livery service to some of the smaller neighborhood funeral homes in the city who found it more economical to rent a hearse or limousine than to stable their own.  I was also sent out to drive on these funerals representing almost every ethnic minority in the city primarily Eastern European.  At that time Indianapolis was unofficially a segregated city and the Black population took care of themselves.

   For my labors I received $15.00 a week and room but as a result I was exposed to far more varied customs and cultures infinitely more interesting than anything I had ever seen in Bindweed county.

   Many of these funerals stand out in my mind for different reasons.  One of them was a family member of Phil Spitalny, whom I had never heard of at the time.  It turned out that Phil Spitalny was a band leader who was billed as Phil Spitalny and his all girl orchestra.  During World War II when all the men were drafted into the armed services, Phil formed an orchestra made up of young women.  I am not sure it quite lived up to its potential.

   I was sent to work this funeral.  I believe I drove a limousine to take the family from either the synagogue, or more likely, the cemetery to their home.  The lawn was covered with tents with a large catered buffet to feed their many friends.  Then I saw something I have never seen before or since that afternoon.  On one side of the lawn there was a separate spread for the people who were working the funeral.  We were actually being fed and cared for when at any other funeral we just went hungry.  I remember thinking at the time that this was an example of the way people should act.  When I think of that day on that tree shaded lawn when we were treated well because that was the thing to do.  Every time I hear or think the name Spitalny I remember this and still think of the definition of class.

THE SHADOW SAYS – ENJOY!  http://youtu.be/2K6CuKdaMQQ