Editing Wilbur Sweatman (section)

==Early life==
Sweatman was born February 7, 1882, in [[Brunswick, Missouri]], to parents Matilda and Coleman Sweatman. Wilbur's father ran a barbershop in the riverside town to provide for his family, which also included daughters Eva and Lula. His mother was apparently of mixed racial background as she and the children were listed as [[mulatto]] on some census reports.<ref name="Berresford"/> While Wilbur was still a toddler his father abandoned the family, moving to [[St. Joseph, Missouri]], and starting a new family. His mother persevered, continuing to operate the barbershop as well as taking in boarders. Wilbur received his education at the segregated Elliott School in Brunswick and helped out around the barbershop after school. His older sister Eva was responsible for much of Wilbur Sweatman's early music training, teaching him to play piano. Later Sweatman would become a self-taught [[violin]]ist, and subsequently took up the clarinet as well. Over the years he would also learn to play [[trombone]], [[bass clarinet]] and [[organ (music)|organ]].<ref name="Berresford"/>