We Remember Those We Have Lost

C. Laverne Bennett

BERLIN — Laverne Bennett, formerly of Ocean City, died at Ridgeway Manor Nursing Center in Baltimore on March 5, 2011 from congestive heart failure. She was 95.

The former Laverne Ohle was born and raised in Baltimore. Growing up on Saratoga Street and then Mt.Holly Street in Baltimore city, she attended Western High School.

She met and married Mike Bennett of Catonsville, Md. After a few years of service in the Navy, they returned to Baltimore and settled in Westowne. She worked for a few years at Hutzlers department store in downtown Baltimore. Many decades later, her niece Barbara Frederick remembers that her aunt always commented, “Sales women don’t cater to the shopper today like we did back in the 50’s.”

They eventually moved to Ocean City, Md. where they lived for many years as owners of apartments and later a gift shop. They bought the Ocean Terrace apartments on 13th Street and Baltimore Avenue in the 50’s. A few years later, they bought the Southernaire Apartments, which was adjacent to Ocean Terrace, tore the fence down separating the two properties and all four buildings were then known as just Ocean Terrace.

Mrs. Bennett prided herself in making her visitors feel that they were home, not just on vacation. She placed fresh cut flowers, mostly gladiolas, in tall vases in each apartment upon each guests’ arrival. Dinner music was piped through to each apartment every evening. She personally cleaned each kitchen and inspected the rest of the apartment when the cleaning crew was finished.

They sold Ocean Terrace in 1968, built their dream house on Mallard Island and opened the Bounty Gift Shop in the Beach Plaza Hotel. The shop was open from 1970-1977.

Mrs. Bennett was very involved in her church, Holy Savior Catholic Church, and the women’s auxiliary.

She was an accomplished seamstress, enjoyed creating culinary delights in the kitchen, played bridge and was an avid oil painter. Many of her paintings graced the walls of Ocean Terrace. She also enjoyed attending the Big Band dances held during the off season at the beach.

The Bennetts moved to Florida in 1978. After living in Florida for a few years, they moved to Charlotte, N.C. where a sister was living. However, the pull of Maryland finally brought them back home.

She is survived by her sister, Muriel Woodhead of Avon Lake, Ohio; a nephew; and numerous nieces including Barbara Frederick and Catherine Frederick of Baltimore.

Services were held at St. William of York Church in Baltimore on March 11.

Margaret Ruth Burns

PITTSVILLE — Margaret Ruth Burns, 86, of Pittsville, died Sunday, March 13, 2011 at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury.  

Born May 29, 1924 in Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late James Kersey and Evelyn McCollough Kersey.  

She was retired from C&P Telephone Company after 29 years. She was an avid artist and a wonderful seamstress and cook. She was a very devoted and loving mother and grandmother.

She is survived by a daughter, Susan C. Butler and her husband, Michael of Pittsville; two sons, Michael E. Burns and his wife, Susan of Ocean City and Robert T. Burns and his wife, Patricia of Frankford, Del.; a granddaughter, Stacie Burns; a great grandson, Austin Burns; and a step grandson, Raymond Bacon.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Joseph Burns, and a brother, Robert McCollough.


A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, March 19 at 11 a.m. at the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Salisbury.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105.

Arrangements are in the care of Holloway Funeral Home, PA, 501 Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, Md. 21804.  To send condolences to the family, visit www.hollowayfh.com.