Photo: Courtesy Dave Duran; Courtesy Hospel family; Courtesy Kulich family
They came from different walks of life, but the victims ofSunday’s deadly rampagein Wisconsin had come together to celebrate the upcoming holidays at the annual Waukesha Christmas parade.
But the lighthearted celebration turned to tragedy when, police say, 39-year-old Darrell Brooksdrove his SUV along the parade route, striking dozens of people. Police say that five people are dead and 48 more are injured, some of them seriously.
Many of the injured are children, but the fatalities include women who were part of the Dancing Grannies, a dance troupe of women over 50.
Below is a list of the victims who lost their lives in the Christmas parade tragedy.
Courtesy Dave Duran
Tammy Durand, 52
A stay-at-home grandmother who cared for her 2-year-old grandson, Durand spent some of her free time volunteering as a hospice and critical care chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
Durand, a seminary graduate of Liberty University, made headlines in 2009 when sherescued a homeless man from drowningin the Wisconsin River.
Durand was an avid runner who would exercise daily no matter the weather — but she still loved her sweets. “She ate Twinkies for breakfast,” recalls her husband, Dave Durand.
Tammy had just joined the Dancing Grannies. “She was the youngest one of them, and it was her first performance,” her husband Dave tells PEOPLE. “But she danced her way through life, even if there wasn’t music.”
Courtesy Hospel family
Wilhelm ‘Bill’ Hospel, 82
A retired steel mill worker, Hospel — affectionately known as “Uncle Bill” — had immigrated from Germany with his three older brothers.
Hospel was at the parade to watch his wife of more than 60 years, Lola, perform with the Dancing Grannies. (She was also hurt in the incident, but her injuries are not believed to be life threatening.)
With two children and two grandchildren, Hospel was known for his outgoing personality and mischievous sense of humor. “He and his brothers together just had a naughty streak,” his niece, Nita Hospel, tells PEOPLE. “They just egged each other on to do naughty things.”
But beneath his fun-loving persona was a man with a big heart. “He was the uncle you want; he would do anything for family,” says Nita. “Just being around him, you always knew you were loved.”
Courtesy Kulich family
Jane Kulich, 52
A teller at Citizens Bank, Kulich was representing her employer in the parade procession when she was struck and killed. Dressed as one of Santa’s helpers, she was passing out candy along the parade route.
Kulich, a regular churchgoer, prioritized her kids and her grandchildren. Fun-loving with a quick sense of humor, she was a die-hard fan of the Green Bay Packers.
In a text message to PEOPLE, Jane’s daughter Taylor described her mother as “a wonderful, beautiful soul. She lit up everyone’s lives. This woman was an absolute gem. … She was so kind and sweet and loving.”
Taylor continued: “My mom was such a wonderful human that positively impacted everyone she met. We will miss her so much. She was taken from us way too soon.”
“Jane was all about family,” her sister-in-law, Shawn Kulich, tells PEOPLE. “She was the matriarch of her family. She just loved to be with her grandchildren.”
A GoFundMe pagehas been launched in her honor.
Virginia Sorenson, 79
Sorenson, the choreographer of the Dancing Grannies, had been with the troupe for 19 years and was known for her energetic demeanor and quick smile. She was holding the troupe’s banner when she was struck and killed on Sunday.
Known as “Ginny” to all her friends, Sorenson was always willing to patiently teach newcomers the routines. Despite a bad back and a bad hip, she continued to dance with the troupe. When she was not working with the group she would spend time with her three grown children and six grandchildren.
“What did she like about it? Everything,” her husband of 56 years, David Sorenson, tells theMilwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “She liked the instructing. She liked the dancing and the camaraderie of the women. She liked to perform.”
Leanna Owens, 71
The smallest, shortest member of the Dancing Grannies, Owens was a fireball of energy who had danced with the troupe for several years. A mother of two grown sons, Owens worked as an apartment manager where she was known for being kind to the tenants.
“She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She was the nicest lady,” Dave Schmidt, who owns two of the apartments that Owens managed, told theJournal-Sentinel.
“Every time you saw her, she’d be smiling,” Kevin McNair, who has known Owens professionally for more than a decade, tells PEOPLE. “If she had a bad day, you wouldn’t know it. She had such an upbeat personality and positive outlook on life.”
source: people.com
