Retired municipal band members to receive awards

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The Mitchell Municipal Band will present its final concert of the 2012 season at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Saterlie Bandstand in Hitchcock Park.

At the concert, Mayor Ken Tracy will present awards to three retired band members who have given a combined total of 183 years to the city and its band.

Honorees are:

• Homer Parce, a farmer in the Letcher area with a “golden trumpet tone” and also one of South Dakota’s best trumpet players and musicians. He played, with perfect accuracy, challenging solos at nearly every city band concert.

He was a role model, inspiration, and mentor for all members of the band. He retired from the band in 2000, after completing 62 years with the band. He lives in Letcher and will celebrate his 94th birthday next week.

• Dr. Paul Scheuerle, who came to Mitchell during the 1950s and became professor of music, department chairman and director of bands at Dakota Wesleyan University. His leadership, dedication, clarinet and saxophone artistry place him in an elite class of South Dakota musicians. He retired from the city band in 2010, after completing 53 years.

• Berniece Sellars, who spent most of her working years in the banking business in Mitchell. She started playing saxophone/oboe in the city band at a young age. In addition to being a talented musician, mother and mentor, she held the office of secretary-treasurer for many of her 68 years with the band. She retired from playing at the end of the 2011 season.

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