Obituary of Lenore Farness

Lenore Farness Of Waukesha, passed away Friday, January 21, 2011 at Waukesha Memorial Hospital at the age of 92 years. Lenore was born on March 26, 1918 in BayView, WI, the daughter of Norma and Leonard Kelly. Lenore attended Perishing Grade School in West Milwaukee, West Milwaukee High School, and graduated from South Division High School in Milwaukee in 1936. ?She was a professional musician all her life and a member of the Milwaukee Musician's Union. Lenore played trumpet with the Milwaukee Civic Symphonic Band and the West Allis Concert Band. She was also the business manager for both groups for ten years, as well as managed the Milwaukee Symphonic Orchestra. In her early years, she traveled with the Nick Borealt Stage Show out of Chicago and covered most of the Eastern U.S. in winter. Summers were spent playing fairs in the west. In 1944, she sang and played trumpet with a trio of mothers who had children enrolled in Himount School in Milwaukee. Lenore worked for Wisconsin Motors, Allis Chambers, The Milwaukee Civic Music Association, and the Ophthalmology Research Department of the Wisconsin Medical College. She married Erling I. Farness in 1940 until his demise in 1981. Their daughter, the late Marcia Ellen was born in 1942 in Milwaukee, WI. On retirement, Lenore and her husband moved to Phoenix, Arizona where they lived until his death. She then returned to Waukesha, WI where she began playing with a dance show band "The Senior Songsters". This continued until the director, Leo Kennedy died. Lenore kept the group together as "Joyful Sound". She also sang and played trumpet with the Waukesha Original Senior Songster Chorus for 20 years. Lenore sang with a Salvation Army Chorus in Dousman, WI the first Tuesday of almost every month. Lenore is lovingly survived by her son-in-law, Paul Hein; grandsons, David Dillett, Carl (Linda) Hein, David (Lisa) Hein, and Douglas (Laurie) Hein; granddaughter, Phyllis (James) Manka; great- grandsons, Robert Sommer, J.J. Sommer, Ben Sommer, Damien Dillett, Dalton Hein, Aaron Hein, and Spencer Hein; great-granddaughter, Meredith Hein; nieces and nephews, Kristine Farness, Matt Bogusz, Justin Bogusz, Donald (the late Sigrun) Farness. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Erling, daughter, Marcia and great-granddaughter, Sarah Hein. Per Lenore's request, there will be no services held.