Robert “Bob” John Neller     1911-1989

 

    

 

 

Born:   April 8, 1911 in Appleton, Wisconsin     

Died:   August 9, 1989 in Appleton, Wisconsin. 

Place of burial:  Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, Lot 37, Block 3.

 

 

1st Spouse:     Dorothy, m. abt 1943 until 1947

 

2nd Spouse:   Helen, m. abt 1948, divorce awarded on April 20, 1957 (Appleton Post Crescent, Vol44, 325, pg 3.)

Children:         Donald Robert Neller  (See below)

 

3rd Spouse:    Alvina “Cookie” Janssen, m. abt 1960      

Children:         George Siebers (step)

                        Barbara Linder (step)

                        Carol Schroeder (step)       

 

Occupation:   Ventriliquist,

Radio and Vaudeville Entertainer,

Inventor

 

Father’s name:          John Henry Neller                  Birth place:     Appleton, Wisconsin

Mother’s name:         Ina Frances (Briggs) Neller  Birth place:     Appleton, Wisconsin

Siblings:         James Locke Neller

                        Marjorie (Neller) Peterson Greenwald

                        Richard Karl Neller (Sr.)

                        Donald George Neller

 

 

Bob’s ventriloquist dummy was called Reggie.   As a ventriloquist, Bob was very talented.  He could throw his voice and was able to create the illusion that his doll was whistling.  According to internet blogs that trick still has today’s ventriloquists baffled!

 

While Bob spelled his last name as Neller, with an ‘e’ in the last half, he often turns up as Nellar, with an ‘a’.  This confusion may be due to that Bob’s uncle and mentor, E.T. Nellar, did use the ‘a’ spelling and was also in show business as a mentalist and magician.

 

Niece Patricia Deardorff offers this bio of Bob:

“Bob graduated from the University of Wisconsin in '33.  He went to California to be with his Uncle, ET Nellar, or The Great Nellar as he called himself.  ET was a mentalist, illusionist, magician, etc...An uncanny entertainer who greatly inspired and influenced Bob.

ET was at the Long Beach Pike in the early 30's, had his own act going there with his winsome assistant and wife, "Bunny."  Bob wanted to sell his Kazoos ... he invented a kazoo that could imitate virtually any instrument.  ET told him that he'd draw a crowd if he pretended to be quietly making something or doing his ventriloquism instead of trying to gather people around by calling or coaxing ("hawking") them to come.  Bob took his advice and went into his ventriloquist routine to draw crowds, and an agent spotted him and signed him on.  He went from there to play in San Francisco at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, and he played with all the Big Bands all over the country.  He even played at Radio City Music Hall.  (I think he was the only ventriloquist to do that.  The Hall was big and presented problems to other ventriloquists.)  Bob became friends and co-entertainers with Rudy Vallee and Edgar Bergen (who also had McElroy figures) along the way.  Bob was also a radio entertainer, and Dad [James Locke Neller] says he was the first ventriloquist to appear on TV. 

Bob flew his own single engine "Air Vent" to his engagements.  He was a handsome, charming and very funny guy and could do amazing things with his voice, things that have eluded other ventriloquists.  For instance, he could make Reggie whistle in harmony with himself.  (Does three part harmony sound possible?  Think that's what Dad told me.)  Because of his awesome whistling talent, the McElroys had to make a doll who could 'pucker'…that figure was Reggie.

Bob's had quite a few figures.  Among them were Izzy, Clarence, Dizzy and Reggie I and II.  The first Reggie broke and was mended as a combination of a McElroy figure and a Marshall figure, the second Reggie, made by the McElroy, has been sold, refurbished, and is now in David Copperfield's collection.  The rest of the figures are in private collections or are actually still in use today.

Bob served in W.W.II.  When he got home he designed, created and manufactured the famous Kilroy pocket fobs. He called them Peekies.”  (Pattie speaks more about Peekies below.)

 

       

 

(This obituary was attached to the           Bob put together a How-to type book with tape/CD to teach ventriloquism and distant voice techniques.

burial record at the cemetery.                  It is likely still available today as I’ve seen it advertised at:

It most likely came from the                    http://www.ventriloquism101.com/products/videos.htm and other websites.

Appleton Post-Crescent.

Yes, the bottom was cut off,

that isn’t my doing.)

 

    

This picture from 1968 was found at:

http://www.magicgettogether.com/galleries/c/index.htm.

 

Here is a website that tells the story of another of Bob’s figures.  This is the one he used prior to Reggie, nicknamed “Izzy”, which was short for Isadore Anecessity Onahouse.   http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/marshall/marshall_24/marshall_24.htm

 

 

Niece Patricia Deardorff shared with me that, “he was the person who designed and manufactured the famous Kilroy Lapel Pins, which are now highly sought after collectibles.”  According to Patricia, there are a limited number of Kilroys out there.  Bob did his manufacturing in a converted barn in Wisconsin.  At the end of the war, Bob sold the designs [of] the Kilroy/Peekies to a big manufacturer and had signed their contract, giving them the right of sale and distribution.   Don't know if the sale excluded Bob from further profit or not.  Right after that, disaster struck...A fire broke out in 'the barn'... the building and everything inside of it were totally destroyed...End of the Kilroys.  Bob didn't want to use bakelite, so he mixed a plastics compound of his own and, as it turned out, that mix was highly inflammable.  Bob had hired local townspeople to work in his factory, and everyone, the whole town,  tried to help put out the fire.  (It was either an early morning or late night fire.  No one was working or inside when it broke out.)   Bob was heartbroken when the Kilroys were destroyed, but in true Bob Neller fashion, he moved on to yet another 'invention'…yet another endeavor.  His early Peekies, his prototypes, were all hand painted.  They are flesh toned and rosy cheeked.  Painting each one was not cost effective so Bob decided to mix his own plastic formula, making it perfect for fitting into the molds he had created.  The plastics mix Bob used turned dark over time, but each little guy had hand painted eyes.  Each was unique in its own way.

 

    

Bob and Reggie photo at top and collection of Kilroy Peekies photo are courtesy of Patricia Deardorff.

 

Patricia Deardorff tells me that John and Ina (Robert’s parents) bought Houdini's former home and raised their family there.  “My dad and his siblings spent every waking hour searching for hidden corridors and hidden treasures... anything Houdini might have left behind.. .never found a thing.  But I think, between growing up in Houdini's home and being a nephew of a magician, a 'mind reader,' for goodness sakes, Bob Neller cast his lot in show business at a very early age. He was always up to something having to do with entertainment, magic, creativity and imagination.”

 

There is a set of notes from the Neller side of the family that suggests Robert was married two other times, Dorothy and Helen, but offers no details beyond their first names.

 

I have researched through the Appleton City Directories and have discovered that until about 1937,  Robert J. Neller lived with his parents in Appleton, Wisconsin at 410 E. Washington St..  I’ve created a timeline for the Neller family of Appleton.  It can be seen on John P. Neller’s page.

Robert “Bob” Neller’s timeline continues:

1943 is when he next appears at the same address and being noted as serving in the U.S. Army.  Later that same year he moves to 1013 E. North St., is noted as being a ventriloquist, and is with his new wife Dorothy who is a clerk at Johnson Shoe Repair. 

1947, Robert has separated from Dorothy who still has the North St. home and Robert has moved back in with his parents on Washington St.  He also is noted as an entertainer. 

1949, Robert is now with his 2nd wife Helen at 505 W. Atlantic St. 

1951, Robert and Helen move to 1109 S. Lawe St. 

1955, Dorothy moves to a small place at 1304 ½ E. South River St.  No change for Robert and Helen.

1960, Dorothy moves to 107 N. Morrison.  Helen is by herself at the Lawe St. address.  Robert is with his 3rd wife Alvina R. Janssen, who is the owner of Red’s Bar.  Robert is still noting himself as an entertainer, but is also bartending at Red’s Bar, located at 208 N. Richmond.  Their home is at 1407 E. Glendale.

1961, Dorothy moves to 215 N. Oneida.  No change for Helen.  Robert and Alvina are now partners and the bar has been renamed Cookie & Bob’s Bar.  Note: this is the first time I’ve seen him referred to as Bob.

1962, Dorothy moves again, now at 123 ½ W. College and has left the shoe repair job and become Head Secretary for St. Elizabeth Hospital Fund Drives.  Helen is gone.  No change for Robert and Alvina.

1963, Now Dorothy is gone.  Cookie & Bob’s bar must have gone under for it is gone too.  Alvina has taken a job as a presser at a towel company.

1964, Robert is now listed as Bob and has added salesman to entertainer for his occupation. 

1968 - 1970, Bob and Alvina are the same and now we see their son Donald as student and laborer at Quaker Bakery.

1971 - 1981, Same details for Bob and Alvina, but Donald is not present.

1982 - 1983, Alvina retires from her presser job.  Bob still active as an entertainer.

1984, no change.

1988, City Directory now lists Bob as retired.

1989, Bob passes on August 9.

1990 - 1992, Alvina living by herself at the same Glendale address.

Now here’s the fun part…

1994 - 1996, City Directories note Bob J. and Alvina R. Neller as both retired and living at 1407 E. Glendale in Appleton, Wisconsin!

A quick check of 2007 Appleton phone book shows Bob Neller still at the Glendale address!  Now is this the greatest trick of throwing your voice ever?!

The 2008 phone does not.

 

Son Donald Robert Neller’s grave marker in Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, WI

 

 

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