THREE GENERATIONS OF TWIRLERS

Sheri (Sievers) Dost continued the tradition with the JHS Marching Chiefs in the 1970s.

Senior Jamie Dost and freshman Ashley Dost continue the family tradition into the 1990s and 2000s.

Three generations of twirlers -- Jen Sievers, Sheri Dost and Jamie and Ashley Dost.

Jen Schwartze Sievers didn't play an instrument in her high school band -- but she could march.

"The band director chose me to be a twirler because of my very good strut," Sievers said. "He would have all of us in the gym and say I want you to watch her. She has it!'

"And I did. My knees would almost touch my chin and my toes were pointed down -- the way a majorette is supposed to march. I loved it."

Little did she realize that her fondness for marching instead of playing an instrument would be handed down to at least two more generations.

Sievers did her marching and twirling for Jefferson City High School, from which she graduated in 1953. As an adult she moved to Jackson where she and her former husband ran Ideal Grocery for 17 years.

During that time her daughter, Sheri Sievers Dost, followed in her footsteps. She twirled for the JHS Marching Chiefs, graduating in 1974.

Now a third generation is at it. Grand daughters Jamie and Ashley Dost, a senior and freshman respectively, both twirl.

"I'd love to be out there with them," Sievers said. "I've mentioned several times that the four of us should get together and work up a routine to do together at a football game."

So far she has been unable to convince the others.

"Sheri didn't want to but I said we could throw the batons up and let the grand daughters catch them. I think everybody would enjoy it."

Sievers has good memories from her high school twirling days -- despite one mishap.

"We marched at parades and football games," she said. "One time we went to Columbia for an event called Band Day.' We really strutted our stuff and I threw my hip out of joint, strutting so much. We wanted to be the best.

"I loved it and I know people enjoyed what they saw."

Despite her love for twirling, Sievers said she did not thrust it upon her daughter.

"She just went on into it," she said. "I guess the desire to twirl was just built in."

Catching Sheri's performances with the Marching Chiefs was not always easy while running the downtown grocery.

"I used to run over from the store to the football stadium at half-time to watch Sheri twirl," Sievers recalled. "They'd ask for a ticket and I'd say I don't need one; I'm just here to watch my daughter twirl.' I did that several times, then I'd run back to work. I wanted to see her, but I couldn't be off work all evening."

Now Sievers, who is running for governor, gets to enjoy the third generation. Jamie Dost wrapped up her marching band career this year and will be moving on to college in the fall. Ashley, though, has three years to go at JHS.

"I really love watching them twirl," Sievers said.

Sievers believes a few "new ideas" may have been incorporated into twirling during the past 50 years. One change she doesn't like, though, is the marching gate of majorettes and twirlers today.

"They don't strut as much, like they used to," she said. "I still think it was so beautiful. I still picture it in my mind all the time."