Plots / Story Lines - General Topics The Roots of Shep's Tales
Emde Family
On several of his radio shows Shep spoke of the neighbors next door called the Emde family. He spoke of their sons David and Melvin, and the dog Zero. As always, there is a mix in Shep's use of names. Dick was the son's name in 1964, Melvin was the son's name in 1966. Brothers? Not according to Eric Emdee, Melvin's grandson. Melvin was an only child. "Shep apparently referred to my grandfather as "Dick" to poke fun at him and for that reason he also referred to him as "the terror of Cleveland Street."
According to Melvin, his dogs name was "Tootsy" and "Zero" was Flick's dog. He and Randy would sit for hours under Shep's window playing "knife" listening to Shep calling people over his ham radio.
In a 1969 show he says the family is named Beegee living in the Emde house (aka Emde's Folly) and the Beegee's son is Melvin and dog is Zero. Another example of Shep's knack of rearranging the facts.
According to an article in the Hammond Times, (see below), Melvin Emdee did a cornet solo during a concert at the Morton School on May 21, 1943.
