Gaylord "Tarzan" Woltzen

Gaylord Theodor "Tarzan" Woltzen


Born:
June 29, 1905
Roanoke, IL

Died:
July 21, 1995
East Peoria, IL

Career
1921-22 Roanoke High School - Illinois (High School)
1922-23 Roanoke High School - Illinois (High School)
1923-24 Roanoke High School - Illinois (High School)
1925-26 Bradley University (College)
1926-27 Bradley University (College)
1927-28 Bradley University (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)



Woltzen was born in Roanoke, Illinois, to Johann (1879-1946) and Mayme (Brown) Woltzen (1885-1984). Johann, or "John", was sheriff of Woodford County (IL). Gaylord played basketball at Bradley University ('28), and joined Gallagher in 1937. He later worked in the insurance industry.

Woltzen married Alice Looger (1906-1988) on August 3, 1932. Woltzen died in East Peoria, Illinois, in 1995 at 90.

Source
Decatur Herald, April 6, 1943
The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IN), January 8, 1946

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/w/woltzga01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=woltzta01

Don Walsh

Donald Walsh


Born:
  


Died:

 

Career
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)



Went to Gallagher Business School. No other information found.
Found a Robert Walsh who was from Kankakee, born in 1925, who had a brother Donald
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=walsh&GSfn=robert&GSmn=h&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=6578261&df=all&
This is their father:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=83485785
The mother's obituary also point Donald to Lubbock, Texas
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=83458547
This particular Donald was in Athens, Texas, in 1994 with his wife, Helen. Two brother, james and Jerome, both in Bourbonnais, Illinois,  have no obit available.  Trail went cold.

Possibilites:
Donald Wilkenson Walsh (1916-1991) - He was 6'3 and 170, so he had the physical size of a basketball player. Other researchers have claimed this man is the Don Walsh who played for Kankakee.

HOWEVER (5/29/25):
An article in Berwyn Life from February 24, 1939 mentions a pair of basketball-playing brothers named Don and Lionel Walsh, playing for the local Cicero team. If this Don Walsh is the Kankakee Trojans Don Walsh, that means this player is Donald Thomas Walsh (1917-1996)


Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/w/walshdo01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=walshdo01

Louie "Whitey" Sauer

Louis Sauer


Born:
September 3, 1915
Indiana

Died:
September 1985
Herscher, IL

Career
1930-31 Herscher High School - Indiana (High School)
1931-32 Herscher High School - Indiana (High School)
1932-33 Herscher High School - Indiana (High School)
1933-34 Valparaiso University (College)
1934-35 Valparaiso University (College)
1935-36 Valparaiso University (College)
1936-37 Valparaiso University (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)


Louis "Whitey" Sauer was born in Indiana, to R.J. (c.1891-??) and Flona (c.1893-??) Sauer. The family moved to Herscher, Illinois, where he graduated from Herscher High School ('33). He went to college at Valparaiso University. He then joined the Trojans to be the team captain for their only season in the NBL. Sauer died in Herscher, Illinois at 70 years of age

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/s/sauerlo01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=sauerlo01

LaVerne Meyer

LaVerne Lester "Little Moose" "Sonny" Meyer


Born:
June 17, 1917
Peotone, IL 

Died:
July 1, 1962
Peotone, IL  

Career
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)


Born to Lester and Clara (1895-1978) Meyer went to the University of Illinois and then to Gallagher Business School. The Gallagher School basketball team competed in the NBL as the Kankakee Gallagher Trokans. He married Carole Ely of Watseka, Illinois, in 1941, and entered the U.S. Army shortly afterwards. He would own an automobile dealer in Peotone before selling it in 1960. He was working as a parts manager when he suffered a fatal heart attack in his home. He had just turned 45.

He and his wife, Carol, had two sons and two daughters.

(He is not related to teammate Don Meyer.)

Source:
Kankakee Valley Genealogical Study

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/m/meyerli01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=meyerli01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/little-moose-meyer/

Don Meyer

Donald Eugene "Big Moose" Meyer


Born:
April 22, 1910 
Bonfield, IL

Died:
November 10, 2000
Kankakee, IL  

Career
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)


Warren Times from January 14, 1938 mentions Big Moose was 6'7. His name is spelled Myer in the article.

Not 100% sure this is the right ID, but pretty certain.

Meyer was born in Bonfield, Illinois, and would play for the Kankakee Trojans in the NBL. He worked as a blacksmith and a contractor

He married Lyla Stehr in 1934.

(He is not related to teammate LaVerne Meyer. Don did have a brother named Laverne, but it is a different man. Yes. Two Laverne Meyers in the area. Odd. But true.) 

Source:
http://www.kvgs.org/obit_lookup/Obit_Img/ObitM/ME00051.pdf

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/m/meyerbi01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=meyerbi02
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/big-moose-meyer/

John Hoekstra

John Benjamin Hoekstra


Born:
November 7, 1917
Wichert, IL

Died:
October 25, 2006
Grand Rapids, MI

Career
1932-33 St Anne High School - Illinois (High School)
1933-34 St Anne High School - Illinois (High School)
1934-35 St Anne High School - Illinois (High School)
1935-36 Gallagher Business School (College)
1936-37 Gallagher Business School (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL) 


John Benjamin Hoekstra was born in Wichert, Illinois. He attended St Anne High School in St. Anne, Illinois. He attended Gallagher Business School for two years before playing basketball for Kankakee. He married Evelyn Schaafsma (1918-1967) on May 28, 1941. They had three children: John, Jack and Susan. After Evelyn's death, he married Tena Huisman (1920-2002) and added four step-children to his family: Jon, Dan, Karyl and Laurel. Hoekstra died in 2006 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 
Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/h/hoskewi01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=hoeksjo01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/johnny-hoekstra/

Warren Hair

Warren Ray Hair


Born:
July 18, 1918 
Chicago, IL

Died:
December 21, 2006
Houston, TX

Career
1934-35 St Anne High School - Illinois (High School)
1935-36 St Anne High School - Illinois (High School)
Gallagher Business School (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL) 

Found a Warren Ray Hair, born in July 18, 1918. That makes him very young to play for Kankakee, but not impossible. This particular gentleman Hair, his parents are Percy (1893-1964) and Mabel, sister is Alice (who may have married Fred Shumway). Lived in Urbana, Illinois, in 1940, working as a salesman at a grocer, and residing in the house of George and Della Tracy

I did find that Warren Hair played basketball at St Anne High School in 1936. This matches the Warren Hair born in 1919 as far as both basketball skill and age. Perhaps he did not attend Gallagher Business School (or at least maybe only for one school year). I feel fairly certain this is the same guy. Died in Houston in 2006.

12/14/2015
Warren Hair is indeed the Warren Ray Hair listed above. World War 2 veteran.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N795-B9Z
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTLL-S57


Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/h/hairwa01n.html
www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=hairwa01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/warren-hair/

Fred Grafft

Frederick Evert Grafft


Born:
February 20, 1912
Rembrandt, IA

Died:
August 13, 1993
Sparta, TN

Career
1927-28 Downs Kickapoo Union HS - Illinois (High School)
1928-29 Downs Kickapoo Union HS - Illinois (High School)
1929-30 Gallagher Business School (College)
1930-31 Gallagher Business School (College)
1931-32 Gallagher Business School (College)
1932-33 Gallagher Business School (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL) 


Frederick E. Grafft was born in Iowa to Joseph and Court Grafft. The family moved to Downs, Illinois. A graduate of  Downs Kickapoo Union High School ('29), Grafft was a track star specializing in the javelin throw. He went to Gallagher Business School. He allegedly scored 87 points in a single game while at Gallagher, as mentioned by "Ripley's Believe It Or Not." After playing basketball for one season in Kankakee, Grafft served in the army in World War 2 and moved to Chicago and worked for many years as a self-employed consulting engineer. He was married to Kathryn Kendall and the couple had one daughter. Grafft moved to Sparta, Tennessee, where he died in 1993.

Source:
Obituary in the Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), August 17, 1993
Warren Times Mirror (Pennsylvania), January 15, 1938

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/g/grafffr01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=grafffr01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/fred-grafft/

Bob Deweese

Robert Joseph Deweese

Born:
November 8, 1915
Brookston, IN

Died:
April 20, 1991
Lafayette, IN

Career
1930-31 Brookston High School - Indiana (High School)
1931-32 Brookston High School - Indiana (High School)
1932-33 Brookston High School - Indiana (High School)
1933-34 Gallagher Business School (College)
1934-35 Gallagher Business School (College)
1935-36 Gallagher Business School (College)
1936-37 Gallagher Business School (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL) 


Started with all we knew: Went to Gallagher Business School.
So searched his name with Kankakee as another search word. Found a Robert DeWeese (1893-1977). Possible father?
http://www.ancientfaces.com/person/robert-deweese/47324000
This lead to their census record. There was a Robert, Junior, but he was born in 1923, which would make him 14-15 years old in 1937-38, so this is not him.
And then I found this:
http://www.genlookups.com/in/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/599
This definitely looks like our guy. Born in Brookston, Indiana to Joseph and Flora Deweese, Robert Joseph Deweese graduated from Brookston High School ('33) and attended Gallagher Business School (which just might be the same as Kankakee Business College.. trying to confirm that). He started working for TRW in Lafayette in 1940, where he stayed until retirement in 1975. He served in the US Navy during World War 2. Bob married Maxine Turner (1921-    ) in 1943 and had a daughter, Cheryl Sanders, and a son, Randy. After retirement, he moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida in 1976, and returned to Brookston in 1986. He died in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1991 following brief hospitalization.
Grave:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=deweese&GSfn=robert&GSby=1918&GSbyrel=before&GSdy=1938&GSdyrel=after&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=66424572&df=all&

Source:
Journal and Courier (Lafayette,IN), April 22, 1991

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/d/deweebo01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=deweebo01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/bob-deweese/

Donald Betourne

Donald Joseph Betourne 


Born:
February 27, 1915
Bourbonnais, IL

Died:
March 18, 2002
Bourbonnais, IL

Career
1933-34 St. Viator - Illinois (College)
1934-35 St. Viator - Illinois (College)
1935-36 St. Viator - Illinois (College)
1936-37 St. Viator - Illinois (College)
1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL) -  Head coach / player

Played college basketball at St. Viator (which closed in 1938) and later played for Kankakee as well as being the head coach.

Source:
Vidette Messenger, January 6, 1936
Daily Free Press (Carbondale, IL), January 15, 1937

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/b/betoudo01n.html
www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=betoudo01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/don-betourne/

1937-38 Kankakee Gallagher Trojans (NBL)

1937-38 KANKAKEE GALLAGHER TROJANS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE
Western Division
Finished: 3-11 .214, 6th place


Most of this team pulled its players from the Gallagher Business School, which was located in Kankakee, so that's why "Gallagher" appears in the team name. This is a very difficult team to research. I had a lot of problems tracking down quite a few of their players.
The Trojans went 3-11 and finished in sixth place in the Western Division. The franchise folded after the season. 

• Head coach: Donald Betourne (February 27, 1915 - March 18, 2002) Also played. See below.

PLAYERS: 

• Donald Betourne (February 27, 1915 - March 18, 2002)

Biography

• Bob Deweese (November 8, 1915-April 20, 1991)

Biography

• Fred Grafft (February 20, 1912 - August 13, 1993)

Biography

• Warren Hair

Biography

• John Hoekstra (November 7, 1917 - October 25, 2006)

Biography

• Big Moose Meyer (April 22, 1910 - November 10, 2000)

Biography

• Little Moose Meyer (June 17, 1917 - July 1, 1962 )
  

Biography

• Louie Sauer (September 3, 1915 - September 1985)

Biography

• Donnie Walsh

Biography

• Gaylord Woltzen (June 29, 1905 - July 21, 1995)

Biography