Memories of Edward Nicholas Fisch, my father by Suzanne Fisch

A fellow whoe life ended in his prime (43) but who left such good memories for so many he left behind.

His two little daughters (ages 2 and 4 at his death) barel got to know him. His life was entwineed with music from a very early age and it was the framework and profession of his life in an era when being a professional musician (for a living) was not considered too appropriate in respecatble families. He played drums in the Great Lakes Naval Military touring band under the famous John Philip Sousa in the late 1910's. Later he played in different local dance bands, a Viking Accordian Band, and in the Austin area. Eventually he got together a band of his own (1920) of ten muscians and he simply called is "Ed Fisch's Bunch". Later he had another contemporary dance band notably called Ed Fisch & His Green Devils. These bands traveled around in the middle southern Minnesota and northern Iowa areas and Ed became a well-known banjo artist and personality. During the late 1920's depression days before his death he was a caretaker for the Elks Lodge in Austin as both his days of music and his life finalized."