Northernaires

Menominee, MI United States
Founded: 1953

Inactive Junior

CORPS Photos

The Northernaires was a parade and marching and maneuvering junior drum corps, based in Menominee, Michican.

The corps got its start when a drum corps from Racine so impressed the home folks in Menominee that they decided they had to have their own corps. This was in June of 1953. The DAR Boys Club focused the sponsorship for the new group, with the whole town backing them and a local disc jockey acting as cheerleader. One of the first corps directors was Bill King.

In the early days the DAR Boys Club Corps marched in local parades, playing music learned from exercise books. By 1956 they were anxious to move on, and entered their first competition which, to everyone's surprise, they won. By 1958, with new uniforms, instruments, and name (The Northernaires), the growing group won 17 out of 25 contests over two years, beating the likes of the Racine Kilties and the Madison Scouts.

So successful were these years that the Northernaires boasted their own feeder corps, the Northern Lites.

The corps marched in DCI competition in 1972 and 1973, finishing 32 and 44th, respectively. They were more successful in American Legion competition, capturing eighth place in 1971.

Although disbanding in the mid-1970s, the corps formed an alumni group in 1997.

[DCW, 4/03, p.13; DCW, 6/11/04, p.7

Members (7)

Member Name Section Years Involved
Ennis, Tom Soprano 1955 to 1966
Nason, Gene Baritone 1963 to 1968
Pawlowski, A.J. M&M instructor 1972
Schoenbach, Frank Baritone 1969 to 1973
Schoenbach, Frank Baritone 1969 to 1973
WELLNER, CHRIS SOPRANO 1977 to 1981
WELLNER, CHRIS BRASS INSTRUCTOR 1982 to 1985

CORPS 4 items

Northernaires

Northernaires button from the Bob Carell Collection
Northernaires

Northernaires,Menominee,MI,Pin1(RE-2.25)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection
Northernaires

Northernaires,Menominee,MI,Pin2-2003-50thAnn(6DP)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection
Northernaires

Northernaires,Menominee,MI,Pin3-GreenN(RE-2.125)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection

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