Article provided by KMJ listener Todd Lowery and Family
When my mother, Jalaine Davis Kelley, was in the 3rd grade at Washington School in Selma, she had a teacher named Mrs. Mabel Bryant. Mrs. Bryant inspired mom to play the piano and one day she came home from school with a keyboard made out of cardboard for her to practice on.
The piano was then purchased by my grandparents, J.W. and Myrtle Davis, for my mom. Although the year of purchase is not precisely clear, I remember that mom was quite young, maybe 6-7 years old. Mom (Jalaine) was born in 1926. My aunt Wilma says that the piano was purchased when Mom was in the 4th grade which would be approximately 1935.
The piano was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Snapp who lived down the road from my grandparents. They paid $100 for the piano which in 1935 was a very large amount of money. The Snapps purchased the piano from a radio station in Fresno, KMJ. In those days, radio stations had pianos and other musical instruments on hand to play background music for commercials and promos. It’s not clear how the Snapp’s came to purchase the piano from KMJ.
Mom took piano lessons from Mrs. Brown on this piano and got quite good at it. Her lessons were paid by her mom (Myrtle) and her sister (Wilma) doing laundry for Mrs. Brown. Wilma and future husband Jack would pick Mom up from piano lessons and bring the clean folded laundry to Mrs. Brown in exchange for the lessons.
My earliest recollection of the piano in our home was in the house at 2233 Barbara Drive in Selma. I believe that is when my grandparents gave the piano to Mom and Dad (Dale Kelley). As a child I remember always wanting mom to play my personal favorite, Military Polonaise by Chopin. As a very young girl, this was so much fun to listen to and I enjoy it even today.
I (Colleen Kelley Stevenson) took lessons on that piano as well. Although I never got as good as my mother was, I did enjoy it.
My parents were divorced in 1960, while living in the house on Barbara Drive in Selma. After a while, my mother sold that house and the piano stayed with the new owners who bought the house. Another version of this part is that the piano was sold before the house but we are unclear on that point.
Many years went by and some regrets were voiced about not having the piano in the family any longer. One day in the mid 80’s, my aunt, Wilma Woods (Jalaine’s sister) happened to see the piano in an antique shop outside of Selma. She told mom and I about it. We went out there and sure enough, there it sat.
We were informed by the Antique Shop owner that the piano had already been sold to a young couple wanting to have it for their son to take lessons on and that they had paid $200 on it against the total price of $700, leaving a balance due of $500. The shop owner gave me the name and address of the couple. I called and made arrangements to discuss it with them.
They were a very nice young couple and after I explained the connection to our family and made an offer of twice what they had already paid for the piano, they accepted and at long last the piano was back in our family again.
I gave the young couple $400 and went back to the antique shop and paid the owner the $500 balance due on it and made arrangements to have it brought to Mom’s home in the mobile home park on Dinuba.
We think the piano returned to Mom’s home on 1701 Dinuba, Sp. 151 sometime in 1985 but we are not sure about the date.
On March 27, 1992, James Cody Lowery was born to Todd and Michelle. Cody was Mom’s first great grandson and my first grandson. At approximate age of 8, Cody expressed an appreciation for music and it was decided that the piano would transfer to him to enable him to pursue his interests. He took lessons on the piano from Caroline Nash in Reedley.
My oldest son and my daughter in law, Todd and Michelle Lowery and their son Cody became the next owners of the “family piano” in 2000 and had it moved to their home in Reedley where it remains today.
APPROXIMATE TIMELINE
1934 – Mom in 3rd grade at Washington School. She is inspired to play by teacher Mrs. Bryant.
1935 – Mom in 4th grade and piano is purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Snapp
1937-1938 Mom took piano lessons from Mrs. Brown in exchange for laundry done by her mom and sister
1955-1956 Brought piano to our home on Barbara Drive
1964-1965 Sold piano
1985- Piano purchased back into family and taken to mobile home park on Dinuba ave in Selma
2000 – Piano moved to home of Todd and Michelle Lowery.
**Above prepared by Colleen Kelley Stevenson, daughter of Jalaine Davis Kelley with help from Wilma Davis Woods, sister/aunt
***All dates are approximate.
