About Bells of America
The Bells of
St. Mary's
Bells of America traces its lineage back to Corporal Jimmy Bajer of Waco, Texas. The son of first-generation Czechoslovakian immigrants, Bajer served his country in the Korean War. After returning from service, Bajer found his calling in maintaining the large cast bronze bell at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Waco. It was one of many ways he gave back to his church.
Corporal Jimmy Bajer
Bajer maintained the bells for decades, eventually training his grandson, Bells of America founder Jeff Bezdek, to maintain them.
Every day, Bezdek heard the complex mechanism of gears and motors whir to life at Noon. His childhood schoolyard sits in the shadow of the bell tower. As a child, Bezdek watched as his grandfather and father ascended the 60-foot ladder into the tower, where they would oil and grease the complex machinery.
After the whirring would commence, a large steel hammer struck the bell, beginning the Angelus ringing sequence. Shortly after, another motor would spring to life and the bell would swing. This daily occurrence left an indelible impression on Bezdek.
At 15, with his grandfather continued to age, Bezdek began making the climb up the ladder himself and became fully trained on the bell system’s maintenance. A local news story about this ritual, and Bezdek’s family history, was noticed by other churches, who began seeking Bezdek’s help maintaining their bells.
Jeff Bezdek, Founder of Bells of America
The Birth of
Bells of America
At just 18, Bezdek began working as a sales representative for a national bell and carillon company. This led to a job at another company at 19, and ultimately a career spanning two decades selling and servicing bells and carillons throughout the United States.
After years in the business, Bezdek began to realize that many of the automated control systems for bells and carillons were too complicated than they need to be. After extensive product research, Bezdek discovered that the few automated solutions available were based on outmoded technology platforms. Even the touchscreen systems required the use of a stylus, and could be unreliable and hard to use with tiny and awkward user interfaces.
What if there were a way, he wondered, to provide a more robust, reliable, and affordable solution delivering high quality bell sounds with more user-friendly technology? After years of utilizing a variety of platforms, Bezdek learned that Apple products offer the most secure, reliable, and user-friendly products on the market.
After years of development and multiple recording sessions sampling the finest cast bronze bells, Bells of America products are now available, offering the most affordable, reliable, and customer friendly solutions on the market.
Upgrade Your
Vintage Carillon
Bells of America Touch Screen Digital Carillon
Bells of America has used its extensive experience with vintage carillon units to develop a digital carillon upgrade with touch screen technology paired with an amplifier that can power nearly any vintage electronic carillon unit in any speaker configuration.
Contact us to upgrade your existing carillon system.
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