'Dancing Grannie' Tamara Durand Killed at Waukesha Parade During First Dance With Group

Three members and one volunteer from a holiday dancing group for grandmothers were among those killed Sunday when a red SUV plowed through a Christmas parade in the suburban Milwaukee town of Waukesha, Wisconsin. For one of the so-called Milwaukee Dancing Grannies who died in the tragedy, it was her first performance ever with the troupe, the Associated Press reported.

Tamara Durand, 52, was a hospice chaplain and former cheerleader in high school and college. She only saw the Grannies perform once before deciding to join them because of her love of dancing.

Dave Durand, her husband of eight years who was not at the parade, said that she was "super excited" to take part in her first performance with the group during the event.

"She was totally energetic and was her happiest when she was dancing," he said.

Tamara Durand, who had three children and one grandchild, volunteered at hospices and hospitals and helped babysit her grandson so her daughter could complete nursing school. Dave Durand described Tamara as an "Energizer Bunny" who went running every morning and a lover of sweets who ate "more sugar than a sugar factory."

Fellow Dancing Grannies Virginia Sorenson, 79, and LeAnna Owen, 71, were killed during the crash, according to police. Wilhelm Hospel, 81, a volunteer who helped the group with their shows, also died.

In a message posted to Facebook Monday, the group said that they were "devastated" by the crash and loss of life.

"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," the post read.

In another message posted Tuesday, the Dancing Grannies said that other injured members were in stable condition and one was released from the hospital Monday.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

Late Sunday afternoon, the driver of a red SUV roared through a Christmas parade in the suburban Milwaukee town of Waukesha, killing at least five people and leaving 48 injured, according to authorities. Police said he had left the scene of a domestic dispute and didn't appear to know anyone in the parade when he drove into the route.

Not even an hour earlier, the Grannies had called out to fans on their Facebook page.

"Waukesha here we come!!!" the post shouted. "The Grannies are kicking off their holiday parades."

The Dancing Grannies grew out of an exercise class in 1984, with dozens of women, most ranging in age from their mid-50s to mid-70s, cycling in and out of the group over the years. They have only one requirement: You need to be a grandmother.

Jane Kulich, 52, also died. Local news reports said she worked for a local branch of Citizens Bank, which issued a statement saying an employee "was walking with our parade float" when she was struck and killed. The bank did not identify the employee.

Virginia Sorenson, a dance lover who had to give up the hobby years ago after surgery, was the group's longtime choreographer.

"It was like I lost a best friend" when she had to stop dancing, she told WDJT, the Milwaukee CBS affiliate, in an August story about the group. The Grannies brought back that joy. "I love it, and I love the ladies."

David Sorenson, her husband of nearly 60 years, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how she loved working with the Grannies.

"What did she like about it? Everything," Sorenson said. "She liked the instructing. She liked the dancing and the camaraderie of the women. She liked to perform."

And, he said: "She taught me to do the cancan."