The past six months have been rough for members of the Hereford community in Baltimore County.
During that time, six former Hereford Middle School students have passed away ? two of them killed in combat in Iraq.
“It?s shocking to have that many deaths in one year,” said Laura Wilke, whose son attends Hereford High School. “It has really devastated the community. It?s had a profound impact.”
Two Marines ? Norman Anderson, 21, and Josh Snyder, 20, were killed while serving in Iraq. Three other former students ? Joey Baseman, 14, Taylor Cunningham, 18, and Joe Feldmann ? died in car crashes. Former Hereford student Mike Higginbothim also died in August. Cathy Walrod, principal at Hereford Middle School, said Feldmann and Higginbothim were in their early 20s.
In response to the tragedies, officials at Hereford Middle School dedicated a memorial garden to the former students Thursday.
“We don?t want them to be forgotten,” Walrod said.
Among those who attended the garden?s dedication was Jim Baseman, father of Joey Baseman, who died Nov. 8.
Baseman said he believes the Hereford community has grown closer as a result of the tragedies.
“The community is really reaching out to us and the other families,” he said.
“In some ways, it helps them deal with the loss, too. To do something, to take some kind of action, to remember and memorialize, it?s part of the healing process.”
Laura Wilke said her son, Bill, 17, was friends with Cunningham, a senior at Hereford High School, who died in late April. She said she wants to dedicate a memorial garden at Hereford High School and have it installed by the fall.
Baseman said he appreciates the efforts the Hereford community has undertaken and the kindness its members have shown toward Joey.
“Nothing anybody is going to do is going to make this go away or change what?s happened,” he said.
“Being in this situation, it means an awful lot to know everybody else is thinking about him, too.”
