Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-14

riSburg Conservatory of Music died
suddenly at his home, 1903 North
Second street Sunday morning after
a brief illness of bronchial pneu-
monia. Funeral services will be
held at the family residence, We'd
nesday afternoon, at 2 o'clock with
the Rev. Stewart Winfield Herman,
pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, and
the Rev. Lewis S. Nudge of Pine
Street Presbyterian Church officiat-
ing. The burial will be made in the
Harrisburg Cemetery.
Pallbearers include Andrew S.
Patterson, l.. Frank Bass. Horace A.
Segelbaum, John =. Keller, Jr.,
Samuel d. SAMSON and Edwin NJ.
Singer.
Professor Decevee has been n resi-
dent of this city since 1897, coming
here from Sioux City, Iowa, as n
teacher of piano and theory in the
new Harrisburg Conservatory of
Music. Two years later he pur-
chased the conservatory and has con-
Quoted it ever since with great sue
cess. Almost imm ediately he was
elected organist of the historic Zion
Lutheran Church, a position he still
held. Announcement of his death
was made from the church pulpit
at yesterday mornings service and
the Rev. Mr.. Herman spoke briefly
of his work and love of the church
people for him as their musical
director and man. The Sunday
school exercises were turned into a
memorial service for Mr.. Decevee
and several of his favorite hymns
were sung. The vestry appointed a
committee including Charles A. Kun
kel, NJ. Il. Miller and Rev. S. Win
Held Herman I'm
resolutions and expressions of SYM
pathy to the family. They will also
arrange for a formal memorial
service in Zion Church in charge of
the Harrisburg Guild of Organists
of which Mr.. Decevee was a mem
Der and the music will include a
number of his compositions.
y broad minded, public spirited
man, Mr.. Decevee was interested in
all that pertained to the welfare of
the city. As a musician he was
deeply interested in community sing
ing and took great pleasure in con-
Quoting the chorus singing at the
municipal Christmas tree for several
years. He was accompanist for the
Harrisburg Choral Society for some
time past, and later assistant direc-
tor. When the Harrisburg Reserves
were organized last June, Edwin J.
DeceVee's name was on the list of
charter members. lie was always to
be found at the meetings and
strongly showed his patriotic and
enthusiastic interest. His is the first
break in the membership list.
Born in Brooklyn, n. Y, Sep
tember 2G, 1868, of staunch Hugue-
not stock, Edwin Jacobs DeceYee,
numbered such distinguished per-
g0nHupE Tnt1iGca,,f
among his ancestors, and on his
mothers side he came thir-
teenth in line from William Free
borne one of the eighteen original
settlers of Providence, r. I. As a
small boy he studied the piano with
MS mother, n prominent concert
contralto, later becoming a pupil of
$. B. Mills the greatest teacher of
his day. Three years study at the
University of Leipsic followed, then
a year at Dresden with a private
tutor, Dreasecke, where he also
studied the history of art. Then
came two years in Berlin with Rob-
ert Klein and Otto Tiersch, Just pre-
ceding his return to Brooklyn, where
he was made organist of the Bed
ford Avenue Baptist Church. In
charge of the new Conservatory of
Music at Sioux City, Iowa, and at
The same time organist of the First
congregational Church of that CITY,
several years were spent and in
1897 Mr.. Decevee became a resident
of Harrisburg. Ice was married May
3, 1898 to Miss Anna Mary Pat
terson, daughter of Attorney John E.
Patterson, who with two daughters,
Miss Alice Marie Decevee md little
Sara Jeanette Decevee, his mother,
Mrs. Alice X. Decevee, and n brother
Samuel Decevee, of Brooklyn, sur
vive him.
Mr.. Decevee was a member of the
following societies: The National
Guild of Organists, the Harrisburg
Organists' Guild; Society of the
Tuguenots; odd Fellows. Modern
Woodmen. of America; Royal Ar
canum, Improved Order of Hepta-
sophs, Knights of Pythias, Eureka.
Foresters and the Harrisburg Re
serves.
Many friends throughout the city
and vicinity to-day are paying per-
sonal tributes to him and his life
which was marked by a kindness and
consideration Of all men at all times