Jilka Band and Remembering her Big House
This article came out today in the local Sebastopol paper. A lot of the information is the same as that found in the obituary, but it is fleshed out with quotes from people who knew him. It made me proud of my Dad when I read it.
Suzie Jilka Albin
Frank Jilka spent a lifetime bringing music to others, as a talented teacher, a skilled musician and a dedicated bandleader. So when memorial services are held for him on Sept. 6, his students and colleagues in music will pay it back — playing together in one last tribute to a man who touched so many lives.
“He knew how to use music to touch the hearts of people,” said Pat Jackson, a professor at Sonoma State University, who met Jilka through the Sebastopol Community Band. “He was a very generous and warm person, an excellent musician and a true teacher. He always wanted to make you the best you could be.”
Jilka, who founded the Sebastopol Community Band, died on Aug. 8 at age 90 of congestive heart failure.
“We’re all going to miss him,” said Kathi Jacobs, a member of the Sebastopol Community Band. “He was a great musician and even after he couldn’t walk any more, he would play that baritone like nobody else. He always had this twinkle in his eyes. You never knew if he was kidding you, and often he was.”
Jilka was born in 1924 in Salina, Kan., the oldest of five children, and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II, attaining the rank of Lieutenant JG. He graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University in 1948 and earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan in 1951.
He directed the instrumental music program for St. Johns, Michigan from 1952 until 1962, when the family moved to Concord, where he taught band for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District from 1963 until his retirement in 1994.
Jilka moved to Sebastopol in 1995 to be closer to family, and was a volunteer teacher in the Analy High School music program from 1995 until 2007. In 1999, he was named Volunteer of the Year by the West Sonoma County Union High School District.
“It’s called instrumental coaching. While (the teacher) was working with the group, Mr. Jilka would take one student or one section into the back room to go over individual parts of the music,” said Nate Riebli, current director of the Sebastopol Community Band. “He was a great musician and a really kind person, but he wasn’t afraid to let you know when you were doing something wrong.”
In 2000, Jilka founded the Sebastopol Community Band, which performs on Memorial Day at Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery, on the Fourth of July in Ives Park, and at other events throughout the year.
“It grew out of a couple of families getting together at my house to play on the 4th of July — we’d have a big party,” Jilka’s son, Greg Jilka said. “It started with nine or 10 people and kept getting bigger. In 2000, he decided to call it the Sebastopol Community Band and play in more venues than our front porch.”
Jilka conducted the Community Band until several years ago, and continued to play trombone and baritone with the Band until shortly before his death. He also conducted the Brass Choir at the Sebastopol Community Church from 2003 until 2010. Jilka played in a Dixieland group, “Frank and Steins” at his 90th birthday party earlier this year.
“He was a quiet, somewhat reserved person, who saw the humor in situations. He was a people person, who could size up people and draw them in. He had a great mind for music — he’d forgotten more than I’ll ever know,” Greg Jilka said.
Jilka is survived by his children, Greg Jilka of Sebastopol, Steve (Lynn) Jilka of San Diego, Suzanne (Mark) Albin of Sebastopol, Mary (Rick) Moore of Escondido, and daughter-in-law Debbie (Paul) Taggart of Cotati; brother, Eugene Jilka of Roeland Park, Kan., and sister, Sister Margaret Jilka of Concordia, Kan.; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and many nephews, nieces and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his wife, Daisy Giron Jilka; son, Dennis Jilka; brother, John Jilka; and sister, Ruth (Jilka) Johnson.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, August 21. A celebration of Jilka’s life will be held at The Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Sebastopol, on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m.
All of his students and colleagues in music are asked to bring their band instruments to this memorial service and play one last time for Frank, Greg Jilka said.
E-mail gjilka@sonic.net for sheet music and further details.
Frank Jilka’s family would like to thank the staff of Live Oak Rest Home for their compassionate care during Jilka’s final months. The family would also like to thank Memorial Hospice for their help during his final weeks.
Remembering her Big House
I am so glad to find a way to contact you. My son sent me your article on “the big house”. You did an excellent job. Since I was the last one to leave SJ there is no one left know us. I thought you’d like some minor corrections for your records. Mostly spelling. Ballantine not en.
My sisters name is Betty. My name is spelled with a y. I guess back then they didn’t bother with ie or i. My legal name is Barbara but it has never been used, even by my parents. Like I said, minor things.
I was the only one born in the house. You can imagine what a great place it was to grow up in. The only other item for your file is my parents built the tennis court. They were thinking pool but decided on the court. One thing that most people didn’ know was the living room ceiling was real gold leaf. It was painted on canvas and eventually collapsed. Needless to say it was not replaced.
Since you did such a thorough job, I thought you might be interested. My sister and I both now in live in Hilton Head SC, and she enjoyed your work as much as I did.
Thank you.
Bobby Ballantine Spicer.
Editor’s note:
Here is the corrected paragraph regarding the Ballantine family on Oakland Street.
Charles Babcock passed away in 1926, and the following year the home and property was purchased by Ralph Ballantine and his wife, Beulah. The couple and their four children, Ralph Jr., Bobby, Betty, and Joan, lived here – in what the Ballantine children called “the Big House” – until 1940. During that time period, the home was filled with the sounds of children’s laughter. Bobby Ballantine Spicer has many memories of growing up in the Big House, including roller-skating in the ballroom, and playing on the landscaped grounds that still occupied the entire block. Beulah’s father, Reuben (Charles) Sowle, also lived with the family.
Read the whole feature here.
