Seattle, Washington
Bleitz Funeral Home
M.P. MÖLLER, Opus 5451, 1928
Balcom and Vaughan, Opus 566, 1953 - Tonal Changes & Additions
GREAT (Expressive) COUPLERS
8 Open Diapason 61 Swell to Pedal [8]
8 Gedeckt (Sw) –- Great to Pedal [8]
8 Salicional (Sw) –-
8 Aeoline (tc) 49 Swell to Great 16,[8],4
4 Flute (Sw) –-
2 Piccolo (Sw) –-
8 Oboe (Sw) –- FINGER PISTONS
8 Vox Humana (Sw) –- Full Organ 1 - 3
Chimes (Deagan; ta-e2) (20) Swell & Pedal 1 - 3
Great 4' Great & Pedal 1 - 3
SWELL (Expressive) FOOT LEVERS
8 Gedeckt 61 Gr. to Ped. Reversible (rev)
8 Salicional 73
8 Vox Celeste (tc) 61
4 Flute 12 PEDAL MOVEMENTS
2-2/3 Flute 7 Expression (bal.)
2 Piccolo 5 Crescendo (bal.)
8 Oboe 73
8 Vox Humana 61
Tremulant ACTION: E-P Pitman & Unit; D-E
Swell 4' VOICES: 8
STOPS: 20; inc. chimes
PEDAL (Expressive)
16 Bourdon 32 RANKS: 8
16 Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) 12
8 Flute 12 PIPES: 519
NOTES
The chapel portion of the funeral home was built in 1919. This organ is believed
to be an original installation, however there was evidence to suggest it might not
be. The junction board in the back of the console was labeled, Baltimore, Maryland.
However, on the wall of the pipe chamber was the Möller blueprint for the organ
which was labeled for Bleitz Funeral Parlor. It is possible that the organ was pur-
chased and installed used by the Möller representative.
The pipe chamber was at the front of the chapel with a grille-cloth covered opening
high on the wall. The console was in a room on the right side of the chapel.
Tonal changes were made to the organ in 1953 by Balcom and Vaughan. The work done
says, “water damage, etc.” The B and V opus list also gives the size as II-manuals
and 8 ranks. The organ was originally a 2-6. Mr. Gary Webster of the Bleitz staff
was a friend of Eugene M. Nye (Tonal Director for Balcom and Vaughan) and remembered
Mr. Nye doing some work in the mid-60's. Mr. Webster also mentioned having seen a
photograph in the funeral home archives of a KJR radio broadcast made from the chapel
of Bleitz in the very late 1920's or early 30's. The organ console was visible in the
photograph.
The tonal changes and additions made were:
1. The addition of a tenor C 8' Aeoline on a direct-electric unit chest – playable
only on the Great. It played from a stoptablet which replaced the original Great 16'
coupler. The Aeoline chest was installed atop the upper Möller walkboard over the
main 4-rank chest, making it very difficult to access the 8' basses of the Salicional
and Open Diapason for tuning. The treble pipes were cone tuned and in poor condition
at the time the organ was removed.
2. An 8' Vox Humana which played on both the Great and the Swell. On the Swell it
replaced the Swell 16' coupler. On the Great it was controlled by an added rocker
tablet placed to the right of the stop rail. The pipes and chest appeared to be
Möller, but the rank definitely did not appear on the original stop junction inside
the console, nor on the blueprint in the chamber.
3. The Swell 16' Lieblich Gedeckt was rewired to be a 2-2/3' Nazard.
The other registrational aids remained unaltered.
By the early 2000's, the parent company for Bleitz had been urging them to dispose
of the organ. After several members of the staff volunteered their professional
services in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, they learned that the Pipe Organ
Foundation was seeking an organ to rebuild & augment for a Catholic parish in New
Orleans. They donated the Bleitz instrument to that cause. It was removed over a
few days in November, 2006 by members of the Pipe Organ Foundation, and was sub-
sequently rebuilt and augmented for Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos in New Orleans.
Installation began June 2, 2008.
Sources: Eugene M. Nye compilation; Wm. J. Bunch files; JRS; extant, altered organ.
Bleitz Funeral Home
319 Florence
Seattle, WA. 98109 Documented: October 22, 1992
(206) 282-5220 Verified & Updated: January 28, 1998