I only met Brownie Schrumpf once, but this delightful pixie with her spritely outlook left a lasting impression on me. Basically, everybody needs a Brownie Schrumpf, a fun-loving, sensible soul who reminds us that being a good neighbor, and a good cook, is a high and rewarding calling.

Brownie (who died on March 2) must have left this impression on thousands of Mainers, given her 98-year life span and hundreds of columns she wrote for the Bangor Daily News. On the first page of our blueberry-stained, duct-taped copy of Brownie’s “The Flavor of Maine” (a recipe book published in 1976 by the NEWS, handily designed as a three-ring binder) the author wrote, “To Kathy, Happy Cooking the Maine Way in Waldoboro, Brownie, Jan 17, 1983.”

My wife, Kathy, doesn’t really like to cook, but I do. Especially recipes with blueberries. Where else do I find Succotash, fiddlehead greens or Iva’s Rhubarb and Pineapple Jam?

Our family will treasure the book that includes Myrtle’s Hermits, Halibut Loaf with Lobster Sauce, Frank’s Kosher Half-Sour Pickles, Baked Parsnips, Della’s Scotch Scones, Blueberry Buckle, Hazel’s Hoopsie Pies and Julie’s Whoopsie Pies. Goodbye, Brownie.

Steve Cartwright

Waldoboro