Major George W. Landers

World Famous Band Leader

January 13, 1860 - July 4, 1955

Taps sounded Tuesday for a famous Clarindan, known as the dean of American bandmasters and the father of Iowa band law.

Major George W. Landers, 95, died at the Veterans hospital at Des Moines early Tuesday morning. The beloved Major had been looking forward to the end of his active life and made his own funeral arrangements. In accordance with his wishes, a graveside service was conducted at the Clarinda Cemetery this Thursday afternoon by the local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The funeral party met at the Foster-Harmon-Williams Mortuary and escorted the Major to the cemetery.

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Lucile Blanc of Cambridge, Mass., Mrs. Mary Perry of Iowa City and Mrs. Ruth Catrio of Boston, Mass.; two grandsons, Thomas J. Duffield, vice-consul at Madrid, Spain, and James H. Blanc of Cambridge, Mass.;  three great-grandchildren. His wife, the former Lillian Root of Cincinnati, Iowa, died on Feb. 7, 1943.

Until his recent illness, he still had that sturdy, stalwart poise reminiscent of his military training, and a ready wit and constant good humor. For years his rapid pace was familiar on Clarinda streets as he "marched" to and from the post office, up and down the stairs of his business office.

George Landers had a long, active musical career, coming up from a barefoot boy on the shores of Lake Ontario in New York to a nationally known band leader. Acquainted with many great band leaders throughout the nation, he was frequently a special guest conductor at important band sessions in many places. But his main career centered in Clarinda.