Quincy Park Band director dies in crash

MONROE CITY, Mo. — The director of the Quincy Park Band was killed in a single vehicle car crash just outside of Monroe City Monday night.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Keith Wiemelt, 42, of Quincy, was driving a Toyota Highlander on Route Z in Marion County around 9:20 p.m. when he failed to negotiate a curve. The SUV ran off that road and vaulted over another road, overturning and landing on its top.

Wiemelt was pronounced dead at Hannibal Regional Hospital just before 11 p.m. Monday. Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Monroe City Ambulance and Air Evac responded to the accident.

Wiemelt was a native of Quincy and graduated from Quincy Notre Dame High School in 1997 and received a Bachelors of Science degree from Quincy University in Music Education in 2002.  He was a member of the Quincy Park Band for the last 27 years and during that time he served as property manager of the Park Band and was the Vice-President of the Park Band board for four years.

He became conductor of the Park Band in 2014.

Wiemelt was a music teacher and also worked in the private sector. He had previously worked as the Education and Fine Arts Specialist at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, Director of Bands at Quincy Notre Dame High School and at the Ralls County R-II School District in Center, Missouri.  Besides the Park Band, he also played with the Heidelberg German Band, Quincy Community Theatre, 12th Street Brass Quintet and the Muddy River Opera Company.  

Wiemelt and his wife, Bonnie, have three children.