Mrs. Rosemary Lynn Taverner Baker, 64, of Jefferson, died December 31, 2013 after a 2-day battle with pneumonia after recovering from a 2-year battle with cancer.

Rosemary was born at Frederick Memorial Hospital on September 21, 1949, the daughter of Charlotte Schaffer Taverner and Ernest Walter Taverner Sr., both deceased. She attended Shepherd College from 1967-1971, graduated with a degree in Home Economics from Hood College in 1972, and studied early childhood education at Hood from 1972-1975. She taught school for 25 years, starting at Green Valley Elementary and retiring from Walkersville Elementary in 2008.

On June 20, 1970 "Rosie" married Clyde Lewis Baker at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Rosemary is survived by Clyde, who lives in Jefferson, MD. She is also survived by: brothers Timothy Taverner and David Taverner both of Frederick: daughters Christina Lukacs and husband Steve of Stafford, Virginia, and Aileen Felton and husband Michael of Frederick, who were both instrumental in assisting in caring for her during the past two years. Most importantly surviving and missing her are granddaughters Abigail Grace Felton and Charlotte Rose Felton, grandson Christopher Michael Lukacs, and step-grandson Stephen Michael Lukacs. She is also survived by her nephew, Andrew Taverner of Frederick. She was predeceased by a brother, Ernest W. Taverner, Jr.

"Grandma Rosie" was adored and beloved by Abby and Char-Char. Rosemary and Clyde relived the joy of raising two daughters all over again in helping to raise Aileen's daughters. They spent time with Christopher with trips to Ocean City, the zoo, and amusement parks. She had a special relationship with her mother, Charlotte Taverner. With help from her brothers she cared for her mother's medical, personal, and psychological needs for over a decade.

Rosemary was an expert seamstress who made shirts and sport coats for her husband, alterations for the Brunswick High School Marching Band, hand-made Cabbage Patch Dolls for her daughters, and many repairs to grandchildren's clothing. She was active in BHS Band Boosters, St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Jefferson), a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, and a member of the Walkersville Elementary "Lunch Bunch" of retired educators. Rosemary was an avid reader and also enjoyed remodeling and was adept with a router and hand tools and built a sunroom, a deck, and completely remodeling a master bathroom with her husband. With her favorite tool, a hot glue gun, she made wreaths.

Rosemary loved to travel. She and her husband visited every national park in the continental US except those in Texas and Colorado. They traveled to Europe several times, visiting London, Paris, Rome, Zurich, Munich, Venice, and Florence. They gardened together extensively in an herb garden, a hosta garden, a butterfly garden, a vegetable garden, and a rain garden. Rosemary loved The Beatles, whom she had seen perform live during their first tour in Washington, D.C. Clyde and Rosemary just returned from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland where they both rocked and rolled!

There will be a memorial service celebrating Rosemary's life on Saturday, January 18th. In lieu of flowers, please honor her with contributions in her name to the American Cancer Society . Rosemary's remains will be donated to Uniformed Services University in Bethesda for medical training and research.

Published in The Frederick News-Post from Jan. 3 to Jan. 4, 2014