Ozark Showcase Chapter History
When Springfield’s women’s barbershop harmony organization began as a chapter of Sweet Adelines International a half a century ago, the singers decided to name their chorus the Ozark Belles—but with the coming of the New Millennium a few years ago they thought about it again and renamed themselves the Ozark Showcase chapter of Sweet Adelines International.
It was in 1952 when the chorus actually got its start as a quartet called the Rhythm Missuses, and it was at an organizational meeting in February 1952 that the women’s barbershop harmony chorus was formed under the Ozark Belles banner. The organization’s first coach was S. K. Grundy, who arranged for the chorus to rehearse weekly in a room on the second floor of the Hoover Music Company where he worked. Later, Joy Bangert began directing the chorus with S. K. Grundy serving as coach. Grundy already was a nationally recognized choral arranger who specialized in barbershop singing arrangements. And he took time to coach the Ozark Belles in their first show called Melody Time at Central High School Auditorium.
In 1953, director Joy Bangert moved to Minnesota, and Norma Grundy succeeded her as director of the women’s barbershop harmony chorus here. In their first regional competition in 1954, the Springfield chorus won fifth place, but by 1955 the Ozark Belles had persuaded S. K. Grundy to become regular director of the chorus, and that same year the Springfieldians placed second in regional competition in Wichita. In 1956, the chorus began rehearsing at the Greene County Courthouse, and that same year the Ozark Belles hosted the Sweet Adelines regional competition in which Tulsa placed first, Springfield second and Omaha third. In 1958, Springfield won first place in regional competition in Tulsa and in 1959 Springfield again hosted and dominated regional competition. In 1960, the Springfield chorus won yet another regional title in regional competition in Omaha.
By 196l, Springfield’s Sweet Adelines were ready to do some colonizing, so they helped S. K. Grundy and Keith Kendall to organize a new chapter, the Bolivaires, in Bolivar. Although very busy with the dual choruses, Springfield’s Ozark Belles hosted yet another regional competition and placed seventh in a field which had grown to 14 that year. The 1961 titleist was Tulsa. In 1962, the regional competition returned to Tulsa and once again the Ozark Belles placed first among a field of 16 competitors. That same year, the veteran director S. K. Grundy turned over his directing responsibilities to F. Bion McCurry, former director of Springfield’s Sho-Me Statesmen chorus for men barbershop singers, and a professor of music at Southwest Missouri State College.
In 1963 the regional competition moved to Independence, Missouri, and St. Joseph’s Sweet Adelines chapter chorus won first place with Springfield’s Ozark Belles picking up second place. There were 16 contenders in the competition at Independence.
After Bion McCurry stepped down mid-year as director of the chorus, S. K. Grundy was recruited again to assume the directorship for Ozark Belles just prior to the 1964 regional competition in St. Joseph, where the Springfieldians placed fifth in a field of 16. Again in 1965, S. K. Grundy took the Springfield Sweet Adelines to the regional competition at Independence, where the Ozark Belles placed sixth. First three places in that competition went to Oklahoma City, Lawrence and Bolivar’s Bolivaires, in that order.
A charter member of the Springfield chapter, June Kuklenski became assistant director in 1965, the same year that saw veteran barbershop singer Morrie Toalson take over in mid-summer as Ozark Belles' director, only to suffer a massive heart attack and die four days later while conducting the chorus in a performance at a Christmas party for Kraft Cheese employees here. Kraft plant nurse Joy Ledbetter assisted with the medical emergency that night, and a few weeks later joined the chorus and sang more than three decades. The chorus missed competition in 1966 during a reorganization by director June Kuklenski, who led the Ozark Belles into regional competition in 1967 at Independence against 25 competitors—the largest field of entries ever. The Springfieldians were jubilant to place fifth in the face of such numerical competition.
The same 25-entry field was on hand in 1968 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, regional competition, and the Ozark Belles placed eighth. By 1970’s competition at St. Joseph, the Springfieldians tied for sixth place among 26 competitors. Throughout the early 1970s, the Springfield Sweet Adelines chapter began concentrating on more elaborate local shows and increased visibility in many community service performances here.
When Larry Julian became new director of the chorus in 1976, Springfield’s Ozark Belles won eighth place in regional competition in Wichita, St. Joseph and Hutchinson.
In 1979, Barbara Fugitt became the director of the Springfield Sweet Adelines chorus. In the early 1980’s, in addition to the continuing fraternal assistance of members of the men’s Sho-Me Statesmen barbershop chorus, who handled ushering and many other tasks related to the annual shows, the Ozark Belles chapter of Sweet Adelines began calling more and more on families of chorus members in connection with production of the annual shows here. At Central High School Auditorium, Springfield’s school superintendent Joe Kuklenski and husband of singer June Kuklenski regularly ran the stage curtains—and he often loaded portable risers into his venerable old pickup truck and delivered and picked up from remote locations where the chorus had chosen to perform. Other husbands such as Jim Carnahan, Bob Glazier, and Jim Mercer always could be counted on to help with master of ceremonies chores—and others!
In 1980, new director Barbara Fugitt took the Ozark Belles into a 16-chorus contest at Wichita to place 11th, and the following year in 1981 the Springfieldians placed eighth among 19 choruses in regional competition at St. Joseph. By 1982, Springfield’s Sweet Adelines won fifth place among 16 choruses competing at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center with Barbara Fugitt at the helm, assisted by co-assistant directors Kathy Johns and Jackie McBride. In 1983, Barbara Fugitt took the chorus to Little Rock to place fourth among 14 competing choruses. Then in 1984, Barbara Fugitt moved to Arkansas, and she was succeeded by co-directors Kathy Johns and Jackie McBride, who led the chorus to eighth place in regional competition at Oklahoma City in 1986 and to seventh place in competition at Little Rock in 1987. By 1988, Springfield’s Sweet Adelines chapter placed fourth in regional competition at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa out of a field of 17 choruses.
As yet another decade rolled by, Springfield’s Sweet Adelines chapter has continued its tradition of great annual shows, titles in regional competition, and numerous performances for many community groups with several changes in directorial leadership.
Stability has come from such veteran assistant directors as June Kuklenski, Harriet Mercer, and others. Directors have included: Len Bjella, who also has directed the Sho-Me Statesmen chorus here; Pat Henry, a 27 year veteran director of women’s barbershop choruses; and John Stockstill, veteran director of the Sho-Me Statesmen chorus here, who led the Ozark Belles into the new millennium and their new moniker of Ozark Showcase through December 31, 2001.
Following the resignation of John Stockstill as Ozark Showcase director, the post of director was assigned to veteran Sweet Adelines Queen of Harmony Pat Vozza. Vozza was a member of the champion San Diego chorus and a member of the quartet High Society that has appeared in shows all over the nation plus a European tour after winning the International Competition in 1976.
At regional competition in 2002, under Pat Vozza’s direction, the Ozark Showcase chorus won third place among intermediate size choruses and a medal for fifth place in the entire competition.
On Memorial Day week-end 2002, Ozark Showcase was honored to represent the state of Missouri at the National Festival of States in Washington, D.C., to sing at the Old Post Office Pavillion, the Jefferson Memorial and Fairfax Auditorium.
There is never a slack time for Ozark Showcase. Preparations began immediately for Celebration, a 50th anniversary show scheduled for September 14th, 2002, at Parkview High School Auditorium.
In March 2005, just prior to Region #25 Competition, Jeff Veteto accepted the position as Director. Jeff is a man with an abundance of musical knowledge and talent and with an inherent personality quality that inspires the chorus to learn the music and enjoy singing it. He seems to have an unending amount of enthusiasm and energy that moves from him to the chorus as he directs us.
Music has always been an integral part of Jeff’s life. He has been a Barbershopper since 1978 and has sung in 13 competing quartets since then. Four of his quartets have competed on the International stage a total of eight times; three of these have been Top 20 finishes.
Two of Jeff’s quartets have won District Contests. With Jeff singing baritone, The Tradition won the Southwestern District Championship in 1997, and The Noise Boys won the Central States District Championship in 2001 with Jeff singing bass.
Jeff is currently director of the Sho-Me Statesmen, Springfield’s men’s barbershop chorus, and he sings in The Noise Boys quartet.
Special thanks to Robert C. Glazier, SPRINGFIELD MAGAZINE, Volume XXIV, NUMBER 4, September 2002, for much of the content of this history.
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