糖心Vlog

Editor鈥檚 note:听This is the sixth in a series of stories on 糖心Vlog's history during its first century. CSM听is marking its 100th anniversary in a yearlong celebration through August 2024.

When three singing sisters took the stage to perform during an amateur talent contest in Wahoo in 1939, they began a journey that would take them from small-town Nebraska to radio fame in the big city of Chicago.

Marie and twins Inez and Irene Laudenschlager started singing as children growing up in Wahoo. They sang for various church and social functions. Marie often played the accompaniment.

All three sisters attended 糖心Vlog after high school graduation.

After winning the amateur talent competition at the Wahoo Theater, the trio signed to sing with Ronnie Fike and his orchestra. They performed around Nebraska, billed as the Laudenschlager Trio. The Kearney Hub called the sisters 鈥渁 clever vocal trio鈥� in an article published on Nov. 21, 1940, after singing at the annual Kearney Volunteer Fire Department ball.

In 1941, while Irene and Inez were still students at CSM, the trio auditioned for local radio station WOW, where they sang together as 鈥淢arie and the Twins鈥� for a year, according to the Wahoo Independent.

They also performed with the 鈥淩ed, White, and Blue Patriotic Review,鈥� which traveled to various towns in Nebraska, selling United States War Bonds.

The sisters continued to appear together for local engagements until Marie went to work as a civilian at Fort Warren in Wyoming in the spring of 1944. Inez became a stenographer at an Omaha bank, and Irene took a job at a war plant.

But that summer, they decided to try to advance their singing careers. Over a long-distance phone call, the twins convinced Marie to travel with them to Chicago to continue performing. They auditioned for WBBM, which was owned by CBS, and earned a contract. From then on, they were known as the Bennett Sisters. They were featured on 鈥淰ictory Matinee,鈥� which aired on Saturdays from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and 鈥淭he Jimmy Hilliard Orchestra鈥� on Tuesdays from 11:05 to 11:30 p.m.

In addition to singing on local and national CBS radio shows, the sisters made singing commercials for products such as Bisquick, Hudson Motor Company, All-Purpose Rit dye, Durkee鈥檚 Oleomargarine, Holsum Bread, and Manor House coffee. They also appeared on several theater programs in Indiana and Chicago.

They also appeared on Don McNeil鈥檚 Breakfast Club with bandleader Eddie Ballantine.

鈥淭hey were plenty good when they left Wahoo, but now they are outstanding in the radio world,鈥� an article in the Jan. 1, 1948, Wahoo Newspaper said.

In April 1948, the Bennett Sisters recorded 鈥淧opcorn Polka鈥� with Ballantine for Tower Records. The song was promoted via jukeboxes, popcorn vending machines, and other media. It also received promotion by the National Popcorn Manufacturers Association.

When Irene married her high school sweetheart, Emil 鈥淪am鈥� Docekal, that fall, Marie and Inez found a replacement named 鈥淏illie鈥� and continued singing. They both married in 1950.

Marie died Sept. 24, 1997, in Phoenix, Ariz. She and her husband, James Welch, had two children. Inez passed away Sept. 23, 2006, after a battle with cancer. She and her husband, John Bosshart, had five children. Irene died Jan. 26, 2008, in Tullahoma, Tenn., after an extended battle with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. She and Sam had two children.

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By Leeanna Ellis

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