The memories are good ones. In the mid-1940s, McMinn and Wearsler were majorettes at Alliance High School. "I was very happy," the 94-year-old McMinn said of finding the 96-year-old Wearsler again.

John E. Weitzel Sr. directed the Alliance High School Marching Band from 1960 to 1978, setting a standard of excellence. Weitzel died June 9, 2024, at age 100, in Kalamazoo, Mich., surrounded by ...