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Members of beloved 'Dancing Grannies' among dead in Wisconsin parade

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Brendan O'Brien, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Maddi Maederer, 18, hugs another community member during a candle light vigil in Cutler Park after a car plowed through a holiday parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, US, Nov. 22, 2021. Cheney Orr, Reuters" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/11/23/20211123-wisconsin-parade.jpg"/><figcaption>Maddi Maederer, 18, hugs another community member during a candle light vigil in Cutler Park after a car plowed through a holiday parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, US, Nov. 22, 2021. <em>Cheney Orr, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>WAUKESHA, Wisconsin—Four of the 5 people killed by an SUV racing through a Wisconsin Christmas parade on Sunday were affiliated with the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a beloved pompom-thrusting dance troupe, according to a local newspaper.</p><p>Ginny Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, and Tamara Durand, 52, were members, while Wilhelm Hospel, 81, helped the group, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.</p><p>The fifth victim, Jane Kulich, 52, worked at Citizens Bank, according to her Facebook profile. Her page included posts about the birth of a granddaughter, as well as pictures of family, nature and cats.</p><p>The 5 were killed when a man out on bail from a domestic abuse case and suspected in another violent altercation earlier that Sunday rammed a red SUV through the parade in the city of Waukesha, roughly 20 miles (32 km) west of Milwaukee.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/11/22/21/suv-rams-us-christmas-parade-5-dead-40-injured">SUV plows through US Christmas parade; 5 dead, 40 injured</a></li></ul><p>Tributes began to flow in for the victims on Monday, with the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies paying homage on Facebook. &quot;Those who died were extremely passionate Grannies. Their eyes gleamed.....[with the] joy of being a Grannie,&quot; read the message. &quot;Our hearts are heavy at this most difficult time.&quot;</p><p>Sorenson, a registered nurse, was the group choreographer and had been working with Grannies for some 19 years, according to a feature on the group published by CBS 58 over the summer.</p><p>&quot;She&#x27;s like the heart and soul, honest to God,&quot; one dancer said of the grandmother of 6. &quot;She keeps us on our toes.&quot;</p><p>In a photo posted in 2019, Sorenson, decked out in a fluffy white hat and thick blue winter skirt and coat, grins as she thrusts pompoms to one side and walks down a street.</p><p>&quot;Being an instructor, that&#x27;s a really important part of my life, especially now where I can&#x27;t dance,&quot; Sorenson told CBS 58, explaining that she had had surgery, without going into details. &quot;I love it. And I love the ladies. They&#x27;re my family, they&#x27;re my friends.&quot;</p><p>Footage showed the group practicing in a parking lot, wearing red skirts and wide-brimmed hats. &quot;You&#x27;re all in sync,&quot; Sorenson called out. &quot;I told you, just like the Rockettes!&quot;</p><p>Owen was another member of the group, which practiced once a week and performed at holiday events like July 4 or Christmas parades.</p><p>&quot;It keeps us young,&quot; Owen said with a laugh in the CBS 58 interview.</p><p>The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Durand, 52, was also a member.</p><p>&quot;Tammy was a mother of 9, grandmother of 4, and an emergency, critical care, and hospice Chaplain. She was a shining light for Jesus and strong in her faith,&quot; wrote a Facebook user from the account of a Texas-based magazine, Neighbors of Lakeway &amp; Bee Cave.</p><p>The post said Durand&#x27;s husband Dave Durand was the CEO and founder of Best Version Media, which specializes in local news outlets.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ab36LN2UWXk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Four of the 5 people killed by an SUV racing through a Wisconsin Christmas parade on Sunday were affiliated with the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies.

Members of beloved 'Dancing Grannies' among dead in Wisconsin parade

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Members of beloved 'Dancing Grannies' among dead in Wisconsin parade

Brendan O'Brien,

Reuters

Published Nov 23, 2021 10:37 AM PHT

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