Four grandmothers, age 80 on down, play folk instruments for nursing facilities, skilled care residences, churches, summertime festivals and other venues. They have played for Stuhr Museum's Christmas Past and Present and for an AARP celebration at the Grand Generation Center. Grandmas on the Go are willing to go anywhere within a 50-mile radius.

At a recent visit to Golden Living Center (formerly Lakeview) in Grand Island, the ladies played their usual gospel hymns and old favorites, as well as Irish tunes for St. Patrick's Day. Singalongs are encouraged at their performances, and the Golden Center residents and guests joined in enthusiastically. They applauded lustily after each piece, calling out comments such as "Oh, beautiful!" and "You made our day!"

Members of Grandmas on the Go -- the "GG Girls," for short -- are Teressa Franken of Wood River, who plays the musical saw; Jeanette Schmidt of Wood River and Peg Vansant of Grand Island, on hammer dulcimers; and Betty Schirmer of Kenesaw, who plays the upright string bass and is the group's lead singer.

The GG Girls have been together since September 2006. Teressa and Jeanette met in July of that year when oth entertained at a Lakeview birthday party. It wasn't long before Betty and Peg joined them.

Each of the musicians has an interesting story.

Betty Schirmer, retired after 45 years of teaching, still serves as an aide in the kindergarten/first-grade classroom at the Lutheran School in Hastings. She grew up in a musical family and played in a band for 14 years with her husband, the Rev. Bert Schirmer.

"We played Big Band Era music popular in the 1920s, '30s and '40s," she said. "He played the rhythm guitar and we had fun doing it together. Our band played for hospitals, senior centers, church picnics and family gatherings. We even went to Canada.

"I became interested in the bass when I found one in pieces in the family farmhouse and had it repaired. I've been playing it since I was 65. Another upright bass that I own was played in an orchestra 75 years ago in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It had to have its own passport to be taken out of the country."

Betty performed on the autoharp in Omnski, Siberia, while on a missionary trip in 1992. She also plays the harmonica and a little piano, but the bass is her favorite.

"As long as I can load the bass into the car I'll keep on playing," she said.

Peg Vansant, retired from the food services department at St. Francis Medical Center, has always had a love of music, too. She enjoys square dancing as much as she does playing.

"My interest in music came from my grandfather, who was a fiddle player, and my dad, who loved to sing," she said. "When I was growing up I spent many Friday nights with Dad, who taught us songs of the war days and his favorite hymns.

"And I'm now the proud owner of Grandpa's fiddle."

INFOBOX:

Grandmas on the Go is a volunteer group that plays just for fun, but they'll accept gifts to help with travel expenses. To schedule them for a function, call Teressa Franken (308-383-0921) or Jeanette Schmidt (308-583-2560).

Upcoming appearances for Grandmas on the Go include a senior luncheon at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island on March 26; a Presbyterian Church women's meeting at Minden on April 12; and a Methodist women's luncheon at Juniata on April 26.