Violet J. Brawner, 85, Edgewood homemaker
Violet J. Brawner, a Harford County homemaker, died of a heart attack Wednesday at her home in Edgewood. She was 85.
Born in Baltimore, the former Violet Lein sacrificed high school to help her family of nine after her father lost his job. At age 12, she rode a streetcar from Belair Road to the downtown area to work in a sewing factory.
When she turned 18, by then a factory supervisor, she attended night school to earn her diploma.
Mrs. Brawner was a past president of three Golden Age clubs -- in Joppatowne and Magnolia, and at Trinity Lutheran Church Club in Joppa, where she had been a church member for 45 years.
In 1939, she married James Edward Brawner, and they raised six children from his first marriage and seven children from their marriage. Mr. Brawner died in 1966.
Services were held Saturday.
She is survived by three sons, Roger Brawner of Edgewood, William Brawner of Essex and James Brawner Jr. of Dallas; four daughters, Shari Taylor and Mary Lou Roe, both of Edgewood, Joanne Brown of Phoenix, Ariz., and Rochelle Comer of Aberdeen; and three stepdaughters, Billie Lowers of Essex, Lillian Colabello of Rehoboth Beach, Del., and Winnie Williams of Virginia Beach, Va.
Also surviving are three sisters, Elizabeth Bethke of Jarrettsville, and Dorothy Lombardi and Frances Stem, both of Rossville; two brothers, John Lein of Abingdon and William Lein of Rossville; 23 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Norma E. Kesting, 71, active in American Legion
Norma E. Kesting, a homemaker who was active in American Legion affairs, died Feb. 23 of an aneurysm at Peninsula Regional Medical Center. She was 71.
Mrs. Kesting had moved from Forest Hill to Ocean City four years ago.
She was a longtime member of the American Legion Auxiliary and at her death was president of the South Eastern Shore District and vice president of Sinepuxent Post No. 166 in Ocean City. She also was a member of the Forty and Eight and La Femmes, two other American Legion organizations.
The former Norma Ruley was born in Northeast Baltimore and graduated from Eastern High School in 1945. The next year, she married William C. Kesting, who died in 1982.
Services were held Friday.
She is survived by a son, Michael D. Kesting of Mechanicsville, Va.; a sister, Nancy A. Batzer of Fallston; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
Memorial Mass
Frank Schleicher, former chef at Johnny Unitas' Golden Arm restaurant, will be remembered at a memorial Mass at 5 p.m. March 10 at St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, 5502 York Road, Govans. Mr. Schleicher, 45, died Jan. 26 of heart disease at his West Baltimore home. He was chef at the popular Rodgers Forge restaurant from 1978 until it closed in 1995.
Pub Date: 3/02/99