Monday, December 21, 2009

Missing Person, A Writer

I already posted today, I know that. Right now I don't even care if you don't read my Christmas story. Read this. Read it first. I've just learned something that devastates me, and I have to share with anyone willing to read about it.

Kathleen McBroom, Kathleen McBroom, Kathleen McBroom. I will continue saying, thinking her name.

She is a mother, an Air Force veteran and a writer. She disappeared in October 2008, just vanished. While her husband and children wait, hope, question, pray, imagine, her case - while still considered "open" - has gotten little follow-up. There's been minimal public/media attention, even at the beginning, and none of the national missing persons websites list her case.

For more informational/background detail, visit Slam Dunk (thank you, new friend). He's a former policeman with special interest in such cases, and he's put a lot of time and effort into Kathleen's story.


Friends, any one of us from the writing community could have crossed paths with Kathleen. She had a blog, dabbled in fiction, wrote poetry. She NaNo'd. Just like you, just like me. I am mourning a friend I never had, but easily could have.
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Her posts can been seen here. I ask you to visit the site, to pull the warmth and love from her words. Honor her. And spread the word. What good are we for, dear writers, if we can't spread this word and continue the search for Kathleen and pray for her family?
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The last post (first visible when you go to her site) was published by her daughter, just days after she went missing. In the months past, 288 comments have been left, with well wishes and prayer.
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This, all of this, I had to share. I will be thinking of Kathleen. I will be praying for her and her family. Won't you join me?
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Photo one of her own, from her blog.

42 comments:

Tamika: said...

Praying now! Thanks Janna for bringing this to my attention. My heart aches for her and her family. I'm heading over to her site!

ajgallion said...

This is disturbing and so sad. I will look for her in the news and in other outlets available.

JLC said...

Right beside you, doing the same things.

Rosaria Williams said...

I'll spread the word by copying her picture and linking to your blog. I can do that!

Tana said...

So sad. I am praying.

angela recada said...

Just posted it to my Facebook profile. This is so sad.

Jeanette Levellie said...

Yes, I will pray and agree with you for her family and her. Thanks for making us aware, dear Janna.

Love to you,
Jen
Audience of ONE

P said...

Thank you so much for posting this. Her family will be in my thoughts.

Michele | aka Raw Juice Girl said...

I'm in tears! I checked out her blog, Janna, and her words are beautiful! I saw her daughter's post as well. I just can't imagine! She - and her family and friends - are in my heart and prayers. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I'll help spread the word!!!!

Hugs,
Michele

Donna M. Kohlstrom said...

Oh so sad and scary about her! Putting her on prayer list.

By the way, I want to tell you how much I love your newest self photo!

jdsanc said...

Thank you. I will go right over.

LeSan said...

Thank you Jana for bringing this to my attention. My heart breaks for her family but most of all my heart is with her wherever she may be. This just isn't right. She could have easily been a friend, she was a friend to many I am sure. You can see it in her face. I will definitely be praying for her and her family.
I haven't read your Christmas post yet but I can tell you that I think this post here is really the Christmas spirit. To care and love one another, to look out for eachother and to interceed on their behalf, that is the Christmas spirit.

Anonymous said...

So sad and so frustrating!! I looked around for a while thinking SURELY there would be something updated in the last year. I never heard of this story. How heartbreaking that we probably miss too many of these stories.

Jessica Nelson said...

That's so sad. :-( Life is so very fragile.
Thank you for sharing this. Very weird. I will def. pray for her and her family.

Kristen Torres-Toro said...

Wow, Janna. Thanks so much for letting us know. I'm going there now.

Angie Muresan said...

Yes, Jana. I will pray for her and her family. Where ever she may be, I hope God is with her.

Pseudo said...

This took my breath away. Praying for her and will visit the site.

Unknown said...

Man, this left a huge lump in my throat . . . and that ever-persistant "why" question echoed the entire time I read through everything. This is so sad....

Joanne said...

What a sad and difficult time for her and her family. I don't remember seeing anything about her in the news, thanks so much for letting us know.

Katherine said...

This makes me sad. :( I said a prayer!

ChristaCarol Jones said...

Praying. There's so much evil in the world. :( Heading to her site now.

Karen said...

Janna, thank you for caring and writing about her. Maybe the Lord will use this to help find her. Am going to her site now. Praying.

Jody Hedlund said...

Thanks for sharing, Janna. What a devastating situation.

Nadine said...

So sad. I really hope she is found!

Analisa said...

Janna,
It was one of the most difficult things i have ever read. But I promise to do more than cry. I will pray. I will take her name and cell phone number down and hope,one day she will answer it and come back home. Thank you so much for telling the story of this woman who is one of us. Now lets all pray for a happy ending.

Slamdunk said...

Janna:

Thanks for the kind words and your effort to help Kathleen "Beany" McBroom. I pray that her family receives closure regarding this sad and troubling story.

Heather Sunseri said...

That really is such a tragic story!

colbymarshall said...

So scary...will be hoping and praying for her safe return.

Devon Ellington said...

HOw frightening! Here's wishing for her safe return.

Deb said...

This is heartbreaking.

Brenda Pruitt said...

I'm not the religious type, so I won't be praying. But I'll be doing what I do instead. Just found you. (Hope I didn't already offend you; didn't mean to.) I use to be a journalist covering these type cases. In fact, I made what has come to be called "The Trellis Tree" for all the missing children out there this holiday. I had in mind a couple of girls who I came to care about even though I never met them either. And I write about it there. I shall go visit her blog, and think the thoughts of everyone else, I suppose: What on earth happened? And: Will we ever know? Haunting.
Brenda

Jill Kemerer said...

Thank you, Janna, for bringing this to me. How awful.

(Have a merry Christmas)

Marian Perera said...

I hope she comes back to her family some day soon. :(

Deb Shucka said...

Joining you in prayers for this woman and her family.

Natalie said...

I just ache for her and her family. I'm praying for them too.

Cinda said...

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The feature in our news has been Susan Powell's disappearance from Salt Lake City. It is odd that this hasn't appeared in the Seattle news. I shall share and send prayers forth.

Terri Tiffany said...

This breaks my heart-- it could be any of us that we know out there. I will go there now.
Have a Merry Christmas my friend!

septembermom said...

Very sad story. I'm praying for her too. Thanks Janna for letting us know about this story. I'm going to read more about this situation now.

WendyCinNYC said...

Oh how sad. Thinking of her family.

Joanne said...

Janna, Just stopping by to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and successful New Year ... Enjoy!

RoeH said...

I had been wondering what the latest was on her. I caught it somewhere in that October of 2008 and kept up when I could but then it just kind of quit being a news item. I felt like I kind of knew her through blogging. Thanks for the update. Very sad.

Tess Kincaid said...

This is heartbreaking. I will go pay tribute at her blog. Thank you.