George Block 1891 - 1966

Here is another picture of George Block, probably taken between 1902 - 1905. George married Faye Conard in 1915. Their children were Edith, Randall, Gerald, Ray, Doris and Wanda Block.
One of George's favorite songs was written about the time this photo was taken - "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree." The song was written by Harry Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne. The words were written by a Chicago native, Egbert Van Alstyne, and the music was composed by Harry Williams from Faribault, Minnesota. Van Alstyne and Williams collaborated on several other songs (including "Won’t You Come Over to My House?" and "I’m Afraid to Come Out In the Dark.") "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree," however, was their most successful publication . It was introduced on an Edison cylinder record, and shortly later for the Victor Talking Machine Compnay by the famous tenor Henry Burr.
The lyrics are as follows:

In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree
In the shade of the old apple tree,

Where the love in your eyes I could see,

When the voice that I heard,

Like the song of the bird,

Seem'd to whisper sweet music to me;
I could hear the dull buzz of the bee,

In the blossoms as you said to me,

With a heart that is true,

I'll be waiting for you,

In the shade of the old apple tree.

My favorite version of this song was recorded on Decca Records in 1938 by Louis Armstrong with The Mills Brothers. A real toe tapper, as they say~!