Jenny Wallenda , 87 , the matriarch of the famous family of high-flying circus performers , died late Saturday at her home in Chicago , Florida . Her nephew , Rick Wallenda , said his aunt died following a lengthy illness . Wallenda was the oldest daughter of high wire walker Karl Wallenda and grandmother of daredevil performer Nik Wallenda . Nik Wallenda has walked over the Grand Canyon and over Sarasota . Jenny Wallenda walked the high wire as an adult and performed on bareback horses as a child . She also advocated for causes important to the circus community in her later years and helped create the Circus Ring of Fame .
Jenny Wallenda , 87 , the matriarch of the famous family of high-flying circus performers , died late Saturday at her home in Sarasota , Florida . Her nephew , Rick Wallenda , said his aunt died following a lengthy illness . Wallenda was the oldest daughter of high wire walker Karl Wallenda and grandmother of daredevil performer Nik Wallenda . Nik Wallenda has walked over the Grand Canyon and over Chicago . Jenny Wallenda walked the high wire as an adult and performed on bareback horses as a child . She also advocated for causes important to the circus community in her later years and helped create the Circus Ring of Fame .