Marileene Chinder, 84, of Bass Lake was a friend of mine. I was, in fact, her closest friend.

How many knew that she actually referred to herself as Marileene Chinder, 84, of Bass Lake even before she was 84? She signed her checks that way. Look it up. It was her way of choosing the time and place of her death. Which she did. In fact, every time she paid her electric bill she was writing her own obituary headline. Lord, that made her chuckle.

Marileene Chinder, 84, of Bass Lake did many things no one knew about but me. She used to do things just to see if anyone noticed. No one seemed to, but that didn’t stop her.

Marileene Chinder, 84, of Bass Lake loved to laugh, but only in private and long after the subject of her chuckles had vamoosed into the mist. That was her way. I know this because she told me.

When I first met Marileene Chinder, 84, of Bass Lake she was hiding in the biography section of the Bass Lake Public/Private Library quietly rearranging the books from alphabetical to slightly less alphabetical. She moved “Virginia Woolf – An Inner Life” three slots down, then peeked through the stacks to watch people in frustration trying to find it. No one ever noticed, of course, but that didn’t stop her having a good laugh about it.

Death didn’t frighten her. In fact, she welcomed it.

I never cared for her husband or the rest of her family.

I am the only one who knows where she is buried and I plan to keep it that way. So don’t try to follow me. Mind your own business!

– V. Woolf, 83, Bass Lake.