Grandmother

If there was one soul in the world Jasmine Borum could turn to, it was her grandmother. When Jasmine clashed with her mother, got expelled from high school and rebelliousness took hold, it was Pauline Borum who took Jasmine in, no questions asked. And when Jasmine, 17, felt the world was against her, she knew her grandmother, known affectionately as Nana, wouldn't leave her side. Tuesday morning, grandmother and granddaughter were found dead in their home in the 6100 block of MacBeth Drive in Northeast Baltimore, paralyzing their family members with grief and sending shock through this quiet street just east of Belvedere Square.

On January 12, 2007, JOAN C., beloved wife of George J. Himmel, III, devoted mother of Kimberly Vinyard, George, IV, Rickey and Terry Himmel, grandmother of 8, great grandmother of 1, sister of Kate, Linda, Theresa and John. Friends may call at Gonce Funeral Service P.A., 4001 Ritchie Hwy, on Sunday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. where services will be held on Monday at 10 A.M. Interment Glen Haven Memorial Park.

On Monday, April 23rd, 2007, Mrs. Susan Gladys Fick (nee Rock), loving mother of Charles Fick and his wife Anne; adored sister of Walter Rock; adored grandmother and great-grandmother of Kimberly Mowrer, Kenneth Fick, Ryan Mowrer and Alex Sledge; cherished aunt of Sherry Breaux and Anthony Rock, passed away. At the request of Mrs. Fick, a Memorial Service to Celebrate her life will be held at a later date. Cremation.

On April 29, 2007, HELEN ELIZABETH SURMAN; beloved wife of the late Edward John Surman; devoted mother of Robert Childress; dear grandmother of Robert Childress, Kristen Hollis and Megan Childress; great-grandmother of Kaylee, Kara and Abbigail Childress; sister of Margaret Thomas. Friends may call at the family owned Bruzdzinski Funeral Home, P.A., 1407 Old Eastern Avenue, Essex at Rt. 702 (beltway exit 36), on Tuesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral Service on Wednesday at 11 A.M. Interment Holly Hill Memorial Gardens.

On November 30, 2007 DOROTHY C. PIEPER, beloved wife of the late Francis M. Pieper, devoted mother of Francis R. (Ron) Pieper Sr. and Gilbert M. Pieper Sr., grandmother of five, great grandmother of six, daughter of the late M. Elizabeth Rudiger, loving sister of the late George F. Green, Edward C. Rudiger and M. Virginia Kiel. Friends may call the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Road (beltway exit 26) on Tuesday from 3-5 and 7-9pm. Mrs. Pieper will lie in state at the Oak Crest Chapel on Wednesday from 10:00 till 11:00am the funeral hour.

On May 12, 2007, AGNES CATANEO HAGAN; beloved wife of the late Melvin J. Hagan; devoted mother of Judith A. Shadle and her husband Robert and Frank J. Hagan and Dianna L. Shaffer; loving grandmother of Thomas W. Shadle, Michael J. Shadle and Jennifer K. Miller; loving great grandmother of Marlena, Greta and Jeremiah. Friends may call at the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Road (beltway exit 26) on Monday from 6 to 9 P.M., where a Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday at 10 A.M. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

I foolishly ignored an ominous clicking sound on my home telephone line two months ago. Finally, on the afternoon of Jan. 15, the phone line went dead, and it remains that way. Some people might go crazy with no ringing, but I've enjoyed the winter silence. (We'll discuss my consumer experience with AT&T another time.) I prefer to blame the squirrels in the backyard. I envision them munching on the phone wire's insulation and making luxury apartments out of the alley utility poles. A couple of years ago, they invaded the back part of my property, and I had to hire a no-kill exterminator to evict them.

GROWING UP IN an Irish-American home, I ate a fair amount of corned beef. It was another form of brisket, one of our favorite Sunday dinners.I am not sure how my family became a clan of brisket eaters, instead of salmon lovers. My maternal grandmother, who was born in Ireland and lived with my family when I was a boy, seemed to prefer fresh fish as the entree of choice when "company" -- distant relatives or acquaintances from Ireland -- would visit our house for dinner.Once I tagged along with my grandmother when she went to the local fish market.

BRAZDA, Macedonia -- At a makeshift school in a refugee camp, it was 5-year-old Jeton Hasani's turn to tell his story of what happened in Kosovo.With the teacher at his side, Jeton started to talk in a matter-of-fact tone."

"I like 'Music, Music for Everyone' by Vera B. Williams. A girl named Rosie liked to play the accordian and would play for her grandmother. Rosie became worried when her grandmother got sick. Would her grandmother die or would she play for her again? Read to find out."-- Itavia NophlinLeith Walk Elementary"In 'Nate the Great and the Stolen Base' by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Nate and his friends lost the thing they used for second base. It was a plastic octopus. Nate the Great found some legs from the octopus, then found the rest of it behind the shelf.

On October 10, 2009 DOROTHY A. (nee Bathon) beloved wife of the late John W. Jackman, Sr.; dear mother of Mary Garwood and the late John W. Jackman, Jr.; grandmother of Jeremy Hillenburg and John Jackman, III; great-grandmother of Brandon Smith, Carmen Hillenburg, Jaelynn and Shelby Jackman. Friends may call at the Gonce Funeral Service, P.A., 4001 Ritchie Highway on Tuesday from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Rose of Lima Church on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Interment Cedar Hill Cemetery.

On September 16, 2009, MARY VETTERS; beloved wife of the late Leo Vetters; loving mother of Mary Lee Sunstrom and her husband James; devoted grandmother of Jeffrey J. Sunstrom and Stacy L. Doucette; great-grandmother of Nicholas Doucette and Sophia Sunstrom. Friends may call at Gonce Funeral Service, P.A., 4001 Ritchie Highway on Friday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Service on Saturday at 11 A.M. Interment in Glen Haven Memorial Park.

On August 27, 2009, VIETTE R., beloved wife of the late Richard M. Morsberger; devoted mother of Viette Rodriguez, Richard Morsberger and wife Debra, Stephen Morsberger and wife Robbin, Donna Carter and Joseph Morsberger; sister of Lelia Wofe; grandmother of 8; great-grandmother of 10. Friends may call at Gonce Funeral Service P.A., 4001 Ritchie Highway on Friday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Services will be held on Saturday at 9:30 A.M. Interment Cedar...

A Baltimore judge refused to accept a plea agreement Thursday that would have allowed the 17-year-old defendant, charged with murdering her grandmother, to transfer into the juvenile justice system. After taking a day to consider it, Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory denied the state-proffered plea deal, apparently unable to countenance what he called the "judge shopping" aspect of the carefully crafted plan. It essentially would have overturned another judge's ruling in March that Jabreria Handy must be tried as an adult, in part because of a history of "behavioral problems" that include nine high school suspensions, throwing a textbook and threatening a teacher's cats.

On August 16, 2009, MARIE C., beloved wife of the late Frank Vykol; dear mother of Victor and JoAnn Vykol; beloved grandmother of Danielle and Victoria Vykol. Friends may call at the Gonce Funeral Service P.A. 4001 Ritchie Hwy. on Thursday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Service on Friday at 11:00 A.M. Interment in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

On August 14, 2009, FRANCES LORETTA SHIFFLETT (nee Griffith); beloved wife of the late Charles E. Shifflett, Sr.; devoted mother of Charlene Young and the late Charles E. Shifflett, Jr.; loving grandmother of Sandra Gillenwater and Heather Young; great-grandmother of Andrew and Bethany Pullen; great-great-grandmother of Riley Landon, "Thumper" To Alec; dear sister of Margaret Vollerdt and her husband Charles, Carroll Griffith and the late Ellwood Griffith....

On July 26, 2009, Marie E. Houck (nee Dorn); lost her courageous battle to cancer. She was the devoted mother of Susan Freeler, Gary Houck and his wife Paula. Adoring grandmother of Kelly Herring, Samantha Cox, Brett and Scott Freeler. Great-grandmother of Ryan and Matthew Cox and Blaine, Trinity and Brittany Freelander. Loving companion of 28 years to Bill Freburger. Friends may call the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Road (beltway exit 26A) on Thursday 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday at St. Joseph, Texas at 11 A.M. Entombment at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

The mourners tried to set seven white candles on the dried blood that had spilled on Kenwood Avenue. Some fell down before they could be lit; the flames quickly blew out on the others, snuffed out in the stiff breeze much like the young life they had gathered to remember. Jerrod Reed, all of 16, just back from a trip to Miami, was hit in the head by a bullet while standing on an East Baltimore street corner, Kenwood and Madison, a few blocks from where he had lived with his older sister, grandmother and an assortment of other relatives.

On July 18, 2009, MARY G. (nee Neff); beloved mother of Josie and Jimmy Colison, Shirley and Jim Wieber and Joe Zientek; sister of Dennis Neff; grandmother of Jimmy, Amy, and Henry; great grandmother of Cole Tera. Friends may call at the Gonce Funeral Service, p.a.

On July 5, 2009 BEULAH M.; beloved mother of Linda and Terry Toedt and Janice and Ralph Fowee; sister of Sidney Lusby; grandmother of Scott, Darby, Rolf and Rafe; great-grandmother of Nathan, Jessica, Timothy, Gabriel and Mark. Friends may call at the Gonce Funeral Service, P.A., 4001 Ritchie Highway on Wednesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Further visitation will be held on Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M., at which time services will be held in The Evangelical Bible Church, 2444 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21230.