Alliance High School majorettes reunite after nearly 80 years

ALLIANCE − Shirley McMinn was happy to find a friend when she moved into Brookdale Alliance in April.

McMinn reconnected with Mary Wearsler at the assisted living center on Sawburg Road in Alliance. The women hadn't seen each other in 80 years.

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. "We grew up in the same area, in the north end. We danced together and were majorettes together. It was reassuring to know someone."

Wearsler felt the same way. "It was great to see her," she said.

Jill Roshong, resident program coordinator at Brookdale Alliance, said she's thrilled the women have reunited.

"A lot of what we try to do is bridge connections. It's one of my favorite things about this job," she said. "I love that they've been a support to each other. When a person moves into a facility, it's not always a positive experience. I'm glad they've been able to be a comfort to each other. It helped a lot with Shirley's transition."

Mental-health experts say that despite living in an era with high-speed technology and social media, many Americans suffer from a "loneliness epidemic." The problem can particularly impact older people.

According to a 2023 study published by the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness and social isolation pose a threat to one's physical and emotional wellbeing. According to the report:

• Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively.

• Lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. In addition, poor or insufficient social connection is associated with increased risk of disease, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.

• It also is associated with increased risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia. Additionally, the lack of social connection may increase susceptibility to viruses and respiratory illness."

McMinn and Wearsler lost touch after high school.

"We went our separate ways," McMinn said. "She is a couple of years older than me, so we had different groups of friends."

McMinn said she worked at an ice cream company.

"It was on Main Street. I don't remember the name of it," she said with a smile.

McMinn married in 1955. She and her husband, Robert, had a son and two daughters, five grandchildren and two-great grandchildren.

Wearsler said that after high school, she took a job as a teller at Midland Buckeye Bank, where she worked for many years. She also married, but says she can't remember the exact year. She and her husband, James, had two sons and two grandchildren.

Roshong said that although hearing problems make conversations difficult, the two women often sit together for meals and at other activities, noting that McMinn is good at "brain" games, and Wearlsey is the resident artist.

"They find comfort just being together," she said.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com . On Twitter: @cgoshayREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance High School majorettes reunite after nearly 80 years