On October 23 we lost Founding Member Anne Frazier Walradt after a brief illness. Anne was our Grammar Goddess as well as a mentor and a friend. She was a bright light that could make anyone feel welcome and special and her wit, intelligence, and special spirit will truly be missed by the organization, her many friends, and family.

On a personal level, Anne was a touchstone who I knew I could go to for advice on anything from the troublesome bunions we both shared to suggestions about what to do about our organization. I knew that anything I shared with Anne would be kept in the strictest confidence but more importantly, I knew that she would be calm and steady in the face of any storm that might be chasing me to her door. There was a many a time that I sat with her to discuss a problem and waited anxiously for her advice which always began with a very patient and peaceful, “Well, Charity . . . “

At her memorial service the minister mentioned that Anne was like stardust, a distant star surrounded by a cloud of what appeared to be dust. I found another definition for stardust at the Free Dictionary: “Minute particles of matter that fall to Earth from the stars.”

Anne was far from minute to me with my challenged vertical stature, but it was about more than just height. It was about Anne’s regal bearing, her charm, and her passion for so many things, from grammar to writing to her church to genealogy and so much more. When thinking of Anne and stardust, it is probably more accurate to say that Anne was a supernova who came to Earth to share her brilliance with us.

Anne will be truly missed. May God bless her and open his arms to her very special spirit.

Caridad (Charity) Pineiro
President
Liberty States Fiction Writers