Dorothy Schwartz, member of Chordettes, passes away
Dorothy “Dottie” (Hummitzsch) Schwartz, age 89, Sheboygan native and an original member of the famous singing group, “The Chordettes,” passed away Monday, April 4.
The Chordettes were an all-female barbershop quartet formed in Sheboygan in 1946. The women performed throughout the United States, but the group shot to national stardom after winning the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout contest in 1949. They went on to become members of the “Little Godfreys,” appearing on his morning radio show and top-rated nighttime television show.
Schwartz was born in Sheboygan on Feb. 18, 1927, to Arthur and Emma (Kuhnert) Hummitzsch. Her lifelong passion for music began early with piano lessons at the age of five years old. Throughout her teenage years, she was performing in church choirs, a cappella groups and minstrel shows. She even formed and sang in several musical trios.
Following her graduation from Sheboygan Central High School in 1945, Schwartz received a call from schoolmate Jinny Osborn, founding member of The Chordettes.
“She was forming a group and they needed a singer,” Schwartz said in a 2010 interview with the National Association of Music Merchants. “The blend seemed to be good, and that was the start.”
In 1949, Schwartz married her husband, Bill. After seven years with the group, she left The Chordettes in 1952, prior to the recording of hits “Mr. Sandman” and “Lollipop,” to return to Sheboygan and await the birth of their son, Jeffrey. Four years later, the couple welcomed a daughter, Sandra.
But, Schwartz could not kick her love of being on the road. The Schwartz family traveled all over the world to places such as England, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. The family also spent the warmer months at their summer home at Crystal Lake.
Schwartz and her husband were close. She worked as the secretary-treasurer in her husband’s business, William W. Schwartz Associates, an advertising and promotional business, which their son and daughter-in-law now run. The couple also wintered at their condo in Florida.
After 60 years of marriage, Bill passed away on Sept. 19, 2010.
Schwartz was also dedicated to the Sheboygan community, serving in a variety of volunteer roles. She was an active member of Congregation Beth El and worked with the Sheboygan Women’s Club and the Red Cross Blood Bank.
In an obituary sent to the Sheboygan Press, the Schwartz family released a statement praising Schwartz’s devotion as a wife, mother and grandmother, saying, “She never regretted leaving show business and returning to Sheboygan with Bill to start a new chapter in her life. Her legacy of love lives on.”
Schwartz is survived by her son, Jeffrey (Wendy) Schwartz of Milwaukee; her daughter, Sandra (Duke) Long of West Bend; grandchildren, Emily (Richard) Fuchs of Tennessee, David (Beth) Schwartz of Milwaukee, Samuel (Haley) Long, Benjamin Long and Emma Long, all of West Bend; great-grandchildren, Maxen Long and Alison Fuchs.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and two brothers and sisters-in-law, Melvin (Loretta) Hummitzsch and Harold (Doris) Hummitzsch.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 8, at Ballhorn Funeral Chapels. Rabbi Menachem Rapoport will officiate. Burial will follow at Sheboygan Hebrew Cemetery in Kohler. A time of visitation and support will be held at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Congregation Beth El or the Sheboygan Humane Society.