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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.
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42 comments:

  1. Tamika:December 21, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    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!

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  2. ajgallionDecember 21, 2009 at 10:37 AM

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

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  3. JLCDecember 21, 2009 at 10:41 AM

    Right beside you, doing the same things.

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  4. Rosaria WilliamsDecember 21, 2009 at 10:46 AM

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

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  5. TanaDecember 21, 2009 at 11:07 AM

    So sad. I am praying.

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  6. angela recadaDecember 21, 2009 at 11:14 AM

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

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  7. Jeanette LevellieDecember 21, 2009 at 11:39 AM

    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

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  8. PDecember 21, 2009 at 12:04 PM

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

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  9. Michele | aka Raw Juice GirlDecember 21, 2009 at 12:40 PM

    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

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  10. Donna M. KohlstromDecember 21, 2009 at 12:43 PM

    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!

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  11. jdsancDecember 21, 2009 at 12:52 PM

    Thank you. I will go right over.

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  12. LeSanDecember 21, 2009 at 1:01 PM

    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.

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  13. AnonymousDecember 21, 2009 at 1:02 PM

    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.

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  14. Jessica NelsonDecember 21, 2009 at 1:04 PM

    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.

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  15. Kristen Torres-ToroDecember 21, 2009 at 1:05 PM

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

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  16. Angie MuresanDecember 21, 2009 at 1:17 PM

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

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  17. PseudoDecember 21, 2009 at 2:13 PM

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

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  18. UnknownDecember 21, 2009 at 3:13 PM

    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....

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  19. JoanneDecember 21, 2009 at 3:18 PM

    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.

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  20. KatherineDecember 21, 2009 at 3:55 PM

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

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  21. ChristaCarol JonesDecember 21, 2009 at 4:31 PM

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

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  22. KarenDecember 21, 2009 at 5:25 PM

    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.

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  23. Jody HedlundDecember 21, 2009 at 7:23 PM

    Thanks for sharing, Janna. What a devastating situation.

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  24. NadineDecember 21, 2009 at 7:50 PM

    So sad. I really hope she is found!

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  25. AnalisaDecember 21, 2009 at 8:07 PM

    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.

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  26. SlamdunkDecember 21, 2009 at 8:18 PM

    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.

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  27. Heather SunseriDecember 21, 2009 at 9:22 PM

    That really is such a tragic story!

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  28. colbymarshallDecember 21, 2009 at 11:09 PM

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

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  29. Devon EllingtonDecember 22, 2009 at 8:12 AM

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

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  30. DebDecember 22, 2009 at 10:50 AM

    This is heartbreaking.

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  31. Brenda PruittDecember 22, 2009 at 1:02 PM

    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

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  32. Jill KemererDecember 23, 2009 at 10:07 AM

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

    (Have a merry Christmas)

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  33. Marian PereraDecember 23, 2009 at 11:40 AM

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

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  34. Deb ShuckaDecember 23, 2009 at 12:16 PM

    Joining you in prayers for this woman and her family.

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  35. NatalieDecember 23, 2009 at 12:38 PM

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

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  36. CindaDecember 23, 2009 at 12:57 PM

    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.

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  37. Terri TiffanyDecember 23, 2009 at 1:01 PM

    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!

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  38. septembermomDecember 23, 2009 at 2:10 PM

    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.

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  39. WendyCinNYCDecember 23, 2009 at 2:20 PM

    Oh how sad. Thinking of her family.

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  40. JoanneDecember 23, 2009 at 8:00 PM

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

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  41. RoeHJanuary 4, 2010 at 2:20 PM

    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.

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  42. Tess KincaidJanuary 19, 2010 at 7:36 AM

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

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Thanks for swinging by SSW!