Barada’s Donate Piano to Happy Days Senior Center

The new player piano at Happy Days Senior Center. Photos courtesy of Wendy Britton.

Jennifer and Kelly Barada (Laurene Appleby’s daughter; and Pearl Barada’s son) donated a beautiful ‘player piano’ to the Happy Days Senior Center.

The player piano is a Gulbranson Player Piano. It was made in 1927 and sold for $450 cash. Its biggest selling feature was having a unique pumping mechanism. It plays “old time” songs for those at Happy Days (such as, Christmas and Irish songs. There are 25 piano rolls — one is even in the German Language.

Jennifer and Kelly Barada bought it for their 6 year old daughter, Karly. That was back in 1996 when they lived in Missoula, Montana. Since then it has moved (with the family) to Columbus, Nebraska; then to Minneapolis, Minnesota; and finally to Lyons, Nebraska.

The family picture features three generations: Laurene Appleby (as grandma), Jennifer Barada (as her daughter); and, Landon Barada (Kelly & Jennifer’s son). Kelly wasn’t there. He was at work somewhere in Iowa for Walmart.

Landon was there to help with the moving of the piano — along with Terry Ueding and one of his friends. Landon is the music director at Logan View Public School (7^th through 12^th grades).

It is great to live in a community where people help each other out.