Sigiamondo "Sam" Conte, 1890-1923

CONTE, GLOYD

Posted By: Clay County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 12/1/2011 at 19:11:59

Sam Conte, one of tho well known and popular young men of Spencer, died Monday morning, April 30, 1923 at eleven o'clock at his home on East Sixth street, following an illness of only six days with pneumonia. Even the members of his family did not realize that his condition was so serious and his death came as a great shock, not only to his family, but to his many friends as well.

Sigiamondo Rocco Conte, the son of Gaetano and Antonia Conte, was born July 30, 1890, at Modugno, in the province of Barl, Italy. At the time of his death he was 32 years and 9 months of age. He lived until seventeen years of age in his native country and it was here that the foundation for his musical career was laid. He became a talented and accomplished cornotist and was a Master of the Arpeggio system at an early age. When only twelve years of age he had the pleasure of playing with a band in his native city, the only child player among the band members, and at the age of fourteen he won further honors by playing in the Grand Opera House in the city of Bari, an opera house in which nothing but grand opera was produced.

When seventeen years of age he decided to venture to America and lived for a short time in the home of an uncle in West Virginia. The uncle returned to Italy and Mr. Conte came to Chicago and from that city to Spencer. He arrived in Spencer in 1913 and at once was recognized for his musical ability and for his other worthy merits. He overcame the handicap of new customs and a strange language, made friends readily and became an ambitious and hard working young man of the city. He took up the duties of a tinner at the Leach & Thompson hardware store and continued with this firm for seven years. He worked for the Central hardware company for two years and when that store was purchased by the C. Ben Bjornstad company, he continued with the new company in the same capacity.

Mr. Conte was married in Spencer January 5, 1918, to Miss Grace Gloyd of Spencer. Besides his wife he is survived by two children, Clayton, aged four years, and Cleo Mary, aged two years. His parents are dead but one brother and four sisters still live in Italy.

In July, 1918, Mr, Conte enlisted for army service and received his training at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas. While in the army he served as assistant band master of the Mabry band. He was honorably discharged from the service and returned to his home in Spencer. During all his activities along other lines he has never lost his love for music nor his desiro to continue the work of his musical life. He has played with the Fraser orchestra, the Bob Staples orchestra, the Spencer Country club orchestra and various other musical organizations. His wife is an accomplished violinist and was in charge of this department at the Spencer Conservatory of music. Mr. Conte was in charge of the department of band instruments.

The funeral services were held yesterday morning at ten o'clock at the home on East Sixth street and at ten thirty o'clock at the Congregational church. They were conducted by the Rev. E. Merle Adams but the hymns were the hymns of the Christian Science service and were sung by Mrs. J. Elliot Gould. At the grave at Riverside, the services were in charge of the members of Glen Pedersen Post No. 1, American Legion, of which Mr. Conte was a member.

Source: The News-Herald, Spencer, Clay County, Iowa; May 3, 1923.