Wanda

* Editor's note: A seed of community spirit is planted when a young girl nurtures her idea of beauty. One morning in May on the way to school, Wanda noticed a bush growing in the empty corner lot at Fillmore and Hudson streets. It must have been growing for a while because it was about two feet tall, and Wanda was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. But there it was -- bare and thorny -- and Wanda, who loved beautiful things, felt her heart beat faster. "A rosebush!" she said to herself.

A former vice president of Hebron Savings Bank in Wicomico County was sentenced to 18 months in prison for embezzlement and ordered to pay $456,665 in restitution, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Wanda Henderson, 56, of Westover had used her position at the bank, including her role as executive assistant to president, to manipulate bank records and receive fraudulent loans over a period from 2005 until April 2011, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Over that time, Henderson had secured 20 fraudulent loans for herself and family members worth more than $680,000, with most of that ending in default, prosecutors said.

On Wednesday, February 15, 2006, WANDA (nee Oleski) CLIFTON, age 95, beloved wife of the late Lee Clifton, sister of Janine Bradley, Estelle Murawski, and Eugene Murawski. Services and interment private. Arrangements by Peaceful Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Center, P.A.

On December 7, 2009 WANDA L. (nee Middelton) beloved wife of the late George W. Clark; devoted mother of Lee Ann Wolfe; loving grandmother of Lindsey Ann Wolfe; dear sister of the late Ruth Russo and Helen Lilley; dear aunt of Diane Caputo and the late Louis Lilley. Funeral Services will be held at the family owned Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk, Inc., 7922 Wise Avenue on Friday at 8 p.m. Interment private. Friends may call Friday 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Gilchrist Hospice, 11311 McCormick Road, Suite 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21031.

On February 8, 2009, WANDA F. Friends may visit the family owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST, 1101 E. North Avenue on Sunday 10 A.M to 6 P.M., where funeral services will take place on Monday at 9:30 A.M.

On September 13, 2005, WANDA (nee Wojcik); beloved wife of the late Leonard J. Malczewski; devoted mother of Leonard M. Malczewski, Estelle and Wanda Evans, and Lorraine Hohman; dear sister of Joseph and Edward Wojcik, and Jean O'Leary; loving granmother of 11 grandchildren, 12 great and 1 great-great-grandchild. The family will receive friends at the W. Dabrowski-Chojnacki Funeral Homes, P.A., 1005 Dundalk Avenue, Wednesday and Thursday 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart of Mary Church, Friday 10 A.M. Interment Holy Rosiary Cemetery.

On December 21, 2005, WANDA BRUNK, devoted mother of Michael Brunk and his wife Marie, cherished grandmother of Joshua Brunk and his wife Joanna, Andrew Brunk and his wife Ester, Nathanael, Heidi and Christopher, dear sister of Victoria, Emily and Herbert and the late John, Marion, Bernard and Gerard. There will be a memorial service 1 PM Monday, January 2, 2006 at Evans Funeral Chapel - Bel Air, 3 Newport Drive (Rts. 23 & 24 - Forest Hill). Interment will be private.

On May 3, 2003 WANDA (nee Schwartz); devoted mother of Raymond and the late Thomas Alvarez; loving daughter of Betty Schwartz and her companion Gus Economides; cherished sister of Roger, Steven and Bryan Schwartz, Cheryl Lewis, Alisa Thompson and the late Keith Schwartz. Friends may call at the family owned HARTLEY MILLER-STELLA FUNERAL HOME, CHTD., 7527 Harford Rd, on Tuesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M., where services will be held on Tuesday evening at 8 P.M. Interment private.

On May 18, 2005 WANDA BANDELIN (nee Grudziecki) beloved wife of the late Bernard G. Bandelin; devoted mother of Jerry, Dick and his wife Peggy and Jim Bandelin and his wife Maureen and Marcia Hanson; loving grandmother of ten grandchildren and 9 1/2 great-grandchildren; dear sister of Marie Zamkowski and Laura Ruby Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., at 9705 Belair Road (Perry Hall) on Sunday 3-5 and 7-9 P.M. Further visitation will be held at Oak Crest Village Chapel on Monday at 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at which time a funeral mass will be held.

On December 27, 2004, WANDA C. PODRACKY (nee Gurecki), beloved wife of the late Joseph J. Podracky; devoted mother of Paul J. Podracky, and his wife Sandra, and Deborah A. Podracky, and her husband Wayne R. Fernsler, Sr.; loving grandmother of Heather A. and Wayne R. Fernsler, Jr. Funeral from the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Avenue, on Thursday at 9:15 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Clare Catholic Church, 714 Myrth...

I live in Sunderland, Maryland and traveled to Canada and New England this summer with my family aboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore. Our itinerary included stops in Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John New Brunswick, and Halifax Nova Scotia. We enjoyed nine nights on the ship and loved seeing all of the different cities. This was our third cruise with Royal Caribbean. This picture was taken in Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. Peggy's Cove was a wild, beautiful place.

WANDA LANTZ LOOSE, age 86, of Baltimore, passed away on Thursday, August 6, 2009. She was born on November 3, 1922 in Rowlesburg, WV, the daughter of Ira and Amy Lantz. She was the loving wife of the late Herbert Loose. She was the devoted mother of two daughters, Peggy (Bob) VanKeuren of Collierville, TN, and Linda (Frank Hodges) LeTourneau of Baltimore. She is also survived by two granddaughters, Leighann (Jason) Seidelman and Tim VanKeuren; two great-granddaughters, Jessica There will be no service.

On July 21, 2009 PAUL J. beloved husband of Wanda Townes. Friends may call at the CHATMAN-HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, 5240 Reisterstown Road Wednesday 1-8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at the above chapel Thursday 10:30 a.m. Funeral Services will begin 11 a.m. Interment Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery.

On July 19, 2009, HENRY GEORGE KRISS; beloved husband of the late Wanda Kriss (nee Jackson); devoted father of Hank Kriss and his wife Joan, Douglas Kriss and his wife Sharon and Donna Grim; also survived by seven grandchildren; dear brother of Marie Wagner. Friends may call at the family owned Bruzdzinski Funeral Home, P.A., 1407 Old Eastern Avenue, Essex at Route 702 (beltway exit 36) on Wednesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral services on Wednesday at 8:30 P.M followed by private cremation.

There's nothing un-funnier than Saturday night's jokes reviewed by the caffeinated light of Monday morning. Which is why we probably shouldn't quarterback a comedian over coffee when she was performing for a crowd primed on cocktails. That reasonable rule seems not to apply, however, when the venue is the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and one of the revelers happens to be the president of the United States. Whether he laughs, smiles or frowns carries political freight far beyond the moment.

Sadly, on April 24, 2009, WANDA J. "Tina" Metcalf, beloved wife of the late Jackie W. Metcalf Sr.; loving mother of John Johnson Jr., Charles Johnson, Jackie W., Chad, Scott and the late Shannon and Kenny Metcalf; cherished grandmother of 15; great grandmother of two; dear sister of Vicki Lewis and Robin Murphy; special mother-in-law and best friend to Racheal. Also survived by other family members and friends. Family members and friends may call at the family owned AMBROSE FUNERAL HOME OF LANSDOWNE, 2719 Hammonds Ferry Road, Landsdowne ,MD 21227 on Tuesday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. where a funeral service will be held on Wednesday beginning at 3 P.M. Interment private.

On April 13, 2009, Wanda, Visitation at Calvin B. Scruggs Funeral Home, 1412 East Preston Street on Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 2 to 7 P.M. Family will receive friends on Friday from 10 to 10:30 A.M. at which time funeral will begin.

But for the monkey, it was everything a cocktail party should be. And we were model guests, tipsily trading self-serving lies and brazen speculation, between bites of crudites and crackers, about who was sleeping with whom. We were so into our roles that no one noticed birthday girl Truly slip away. Nor did we think much when nanny Karen conspiratorially beckoned to the help, including the maid, who happened to be me. "What?" I said, mouth full of cheese, following her down the hall to the mudroom.