WAUKESHA, WI - We are covering breaking news out of Wakesha, Wisconsin where a Red SUV barreled down parade goers. At 4:39 PM on November 21 at Gasper Ave and Main Street a Red SUV drove through barricades headed westbound. It struck nearly 48 people and there are 5 confirmed fatalities at this time.
During a Press Conference on Monday, the names of those who were fatally killed in a Christmas Parade Tragedy were read. Police Chief Dan Thompson on Monday identified the deceased victims as: Virginia Sorenson, 79; LeAnna Owen, 71; Tamara Durand, 52; Jane Kulich, 52; and Wilhelm Hospel, 81. They were all part of a group called “Milwaukee Dancing Grannies.” The group posted on Facebook Monday: “The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies are devasted by this terrible tragedy with of loss of life and injuries in the Waukesha Christmas parade. Our group was doing what they loved, performing in front of crowds in a parade putting smiles on faces of all ages, filling them with joy and happiness. While performing the grannies enjoyed hearing the crowds cheers and applause which certainly brought smiles to their faces and warmed their hearts. Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed.....joy of being a Grannie. They were the glue....held us together. Our hearts are heavy at this most difficult time, as more information and updates become available it will be posted . Please keep them their families, friends, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies and everyone who lives have forever changed in your thoughts and prayers.”
From a GoFundMe, family described Virginia “Ginny” Sorenson 79, as a “wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, was ripped from our lives in the horrific events of the Waukesha parade tragedy. She spent her last moments celebrating the beauty of life with her close friends when God called her to come home. Her time with the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies was that of pure joy, and it is beyond devastating to have lost our sweet Ginny in such a vile manner.”
Next is Tamara Durand, 52. Hours before the tragedy struck, she posted a photo of herself on Facebook wearing the group’s uniform for the day: a long blue coat, a furry white hat, and white pom-poms. Dancing was Durand’s “happy place,” her husband, David Durand, told the New York Times. “She was always like a cheerleader,” he said. “She literally danced her way through the day.” Durand was a mother of nine children and a grandmother of four. She served as a critical care and hospice chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and had previously worked as an elementary school teacher for over 17 years. Family members from Wisconsin to Alaska immediately felt the loss of
Jane Kulich, 52, according to her sister-in-law Shawn Kulich, who lives in California. Shawn said her brother, Jane’s husband, John, is “overwhelmed” and “amazed” by the support the family has received — their phones and door have been “nonstop” with condolences. Jane Kulich worked at a bank and leaves behind three children and three grandchildren. Her 17-year-old twins are just starting their college search process and her 29-year-old daughter is a single mom with three kids, her sister-in-law confirmed. The family had just planned a January trip to Georgia so that Jane could meet some younger members of their extended family who had never met her.
LeAnna Owen, 71, who managed an apartment complex, loved being part of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, Dave Schmidt, the owner of the buildings she managed, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “When she’d bring it up...she would just have this big smile on her face,” Schmidt said. Owen spoke about her enthusiasm for the group when she was interviewed by CBS 58 in August.
Wilhelm Hospel, 81, volunteered with the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies because his wife, Lola, was a member of the group. He was a familiar presence among them, transporting them and attending to their needs, the Journal Sentinel reported. His brother, Theodore Hospel, 84, told the New York Post that Wilhelm — who was the youngest of four brothers — was a strong and healthy person and was "always repairing things" in a rental property he owned, even in his retirement. “I was talking to him this summer, and he said, ‘Who do you think is going to be the first one to go,’ you know,” Theodore told the Post. “And lo and behold, the youngest one goes first.” We will continue to follow for more information and our thoughts and prayers go out to these “Dancing Grannies” and their family and friends.
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