We've got the "Ottumwa Blues" here in Chariton

Or to be more precise, a piece of sheet music entitled "Ottumwa Blues" floated to the surface yesterday at the museum as I was rearranging the contents of an archival storage box. Music and lyrics were composed during 1922 by Ottumwa's Ben B. Westerhoff, who self-published the result.

I set out to find more about Mr. Westerhoff, but with limited success. There's nothing mysterious about him, but he died relatively young (on Sept. 26, 1936), at 46, had never married and when his sister, Merrill, died during 1973 the family line ended and belongings that might have survived were auctioned off.

But here's his obituary, as published in The Ottumwa Courier of Sept. 28, 1936, and that does contain some information:

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Ben B. Westerhoff, 46, if 317 Gara street, Ottumwa musician and composer, died at the Veterans hospital in Des Moines at 3:30 a.m. today. He had been ill about a month and was taken to Des Moines only a week ago.

For about ten years, Westerhoff had been secretary of the local, No. 64, American Federation of Musicians. Active in local musical circles, he played continuously in the Ottumwa Municipal band since 1917. He led his own dance band for a number of years, playing regularly at events throughout this section.

During the Diamond Jubilee celebration here in 1923, Mr. Westerhoff composed "Powder River," accepted as the Ottumwa song. He had composed numerous other pieces, privately published. A  number of them have been used on recent radio programs.

Westerhoff was born Feb. 19, 1890, son of Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Westerhoff, in Ottumwa. He was reared and attended school in Ottumwa where he spent his entire life. He was a member of the B.P.O.E. and O.B. Nelson post, No. 3, American Legion.

Surviving are his mother, Mrs. B.B. Westerhoff, and one sister, Miss Merrill Westerhoff, both of Ottumwa.

The body will be brought to the Lester Jay funeral home where it will remain until time for the services, to be announced later.

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We also know that Mr. Westerhoff was a World War I veteran and was most widely known as a drummer. His parents were Bernard B. and Mabel (Fischer) Westerhoff, both of whom are buried in Ottumwa's Calvary Cemetery. Ben and his sister are buried in the Ottumwa Municipal Cemetery.

And when he was 25, he'd made something of a splash by writing and producing "Ottumwa's Own Movie" --- entitled appropriately enough in a city known for its bridges, "Bridge of Gold."

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Mabel Westerhoff survived her son by four years, dying on Sept. 10, 1940. Merrill, who hadn't married either and was described as a retired bookkeeper when she died, passed on Sept. 28, 1973, age 79.

Miss Westerhoff, who had continued to live on Gara Street until her death, left behind a vast collection of fine antique furniture, glassware and other collectibles that was sold during a two-day auction at the Ottumwa Coliseum on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 1973, commencing at 9 a.m. both days.

Among the items listed for sale under "Miscellaneous" were a bass drum, a snare drum and "many sound effects."  It seems likely that these had belonged to Ben.