I am Mr. Kuentz

An Autobiography By Mr. Charles L. Kuentz,

Jr.

Hi, I love music. I love to play many of the different musical instruments. I listen to music, and I have taught

young people how to play band instruments for a long time.

One of Mr. K

uentz actu

al

trumpets

Thomas Jefferson High School

Over the years, I have taught thousands of young people. Some of

them have become teachers like me who teach young people to play the different types of instruments. Some even play their instruments

professionally. That means that they earn their living playing their horns. Others continue to play for enjoyment. This helps them to relax, and it takes their minds off their busy daytime schedules.

Mr. Kuentz’s first teaching job.

Mr. Kuentz’ playing his trumpet.

I began playing the trumpet when I was about 10 years old and continue playing some still today. If you have ever attended Movie

Night at the Helotes City Hall, you might have seen me either playing my horn or directing the Helotes Area Community Band.

Young Mr. Kuentz

Helotes Area Community Band

I was born and grew up in San Antonio. I went to

elementary, junior high, and high school there. I went to Texas Lutheran College, a small college in Seguin, Texas where I studied to become a band director. Some day

when you get to be 6th graders, you can join band and learn to play a musical instrument. It will be a band director who

will teach you.

Mr. Kuentz’s college diploma

While attending college, I met a very beautiful girl. Together, we fell in love and she became my wife. That’s right, you all know her, she is with me all the time when we come up to school.

Young Mr. Kuentz and Mrs. Kuentz Mr. and Mrs. Kuentz’s Wedding

Young Mr. Kuentz and Mrs. Kuentz

Together, we had 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys. They all learned how to

play a musical instrument when they were young. We had a trumpet player, a trombone player, a saxophone & clarinet player, a French horn player, a flute player, and another clarinet player. They all continue to play their horns today. Two of them became band directors like me.

Two became elementary teachers, and two became master electricians. An electrician is a person who wires up your home so that when you

turn on a light switch in a dark room a light comes on.

One thing that you might find interesting is that right where this very school is located, right where you are

sitting in your classroom was once a very large field on my Grandfather’s dairy farm where hay was planted and grew. The hay was baled and taken to a large building

called a barn to protect it from the weather.

Young Mr. Kuentz on his bike.

This hay was fed to the dairy cows who produced milk. Milk that you probably like to drink today comes from dairy cows

the same as it did when I was a young boy. Even though I didn’t live on this farm, I spent a lot of time here when I was

a young boy helping with the chores.

Young Mr. Kuentz helping with chores on the farm.

As you grow a little older, you will probably find out some other things that I once enjoyed doing like racing cars, flying helicopters,

and riding my motorcycle. 

Mr. Kuentz flying a helicoptor

Mr. Kuentz’s motorcycle

Besides having to use my brain to play and teach music, I love working with my hands like doing carpentry and mechanical

work.

Mrs. Kuentz and I, along with our children built our home 30 years ago. We still live in it. Maybe you’ve noticed that the Kuentz Corner down by

the stairs is painted to look like a log cabin. Now you know why. We built a log home to live in. Also, you can see pictures of our family and pictures

of some of my hobbies at the Kuentz Corner.

I hope you have enjoyed learning some things about me. Mrs. Kuentz and I love each of you very much and really enjoy coming

up to school and seeing all of you during the assemblies. So, when you see us walking down the hall or sitting in the office or wherever we might be, come up and say hello and give us a big

“Coyote” hug.

Mr. Kuentz and Mrs. Kuentz at our first pep rally - 2015