Another Cedar Rapids watchmaker

Speaking of watchmakers ...

As a musician, jazz fan and record collector, Les Zacheis was a perfect choice to be a music reviewer for The Gazette, a post he held for several decades.

Les Zacheis' career as a cornetist in the orchestra pit of silent movie theaters came to an end with the advent of "talkies." After traveling extensively with dance bands, Les decided he might want to try a more stable career. He picked watchmaking because "I couldn't see that there was much physical effort to it. I can well remember going to school all day and playing in a band most of the night."

The Marion man worked for a while at Star Jewelry before becoming a fixture at Ginsbergs in Cedar Rapids.

Meredith Willson said Zacheis was the inspiration for the "Iowa Fight Song"

A 1959 Around the Town column stated: