And this is my father's second wife, Buffie. My daddy married her a couple of months after my mother passed away. They have many, many children. In fact, I have maybe more than 100 brothers and sisters.

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OBITUARY       To lose a much-loved hamster is always terribly sad. It is even worse when the loss is entirely unexpected -- when you believed you had much more of life to share with that special someone.       And so Buffie's sudden and tragic death on September 28, 1998 leaves us all devastated. We adored Buffie. She was the image of strength and health -- a competent, lively, outgoing hamster who brought us countless hours of happiness. Buffie was nothing less than wonderful.       Buffie was born in about late August or early September of 1997 at a local pet store. But she wasn't just any baby hamster. She was the daughter of two hamsters from the same litter that we ourselves had taken to the store a little before. That litter was from Sherman and Juliette, making them younger brothers and sisters to my sister-in-law Gabrielle. The others from that litter soon found good homes, but the one that had babies stayed at the pet shop to raise the young ones.       Then, on September 6, 1997, my mother died. That was a terrible blow to all of us. But soon afterward, it was decided that father Ziggy should have a new wife. So we purposely picked one from the litter that had been born to our relatives at the pet store.       The bright copper-colored little hamster we chose stayed there for a few more weeks, even after the mother and the rest of the litter were sold. We visited her regularly and brought special treats to help her put on weight. Finally, on November 3, 1997, that young hamster -- by then named Buffie -- was ready to come home. She married my father Ziggy the following day.       Of all my younger brothers and sisters that were born of Ziggy and Buffie, only one lives with us. That's Money, also known as "Mon-Mon." I join with Mon-Mon, my father Ziggy, and all the rest of the hamster community here is saying that Buffie is sadly missed. We will continue to love her to the end of our lives.       Buffie, may heaven be your home now. And may all of us, in due time, be there, happily re-united once again. Your faithful step son, Tripod ABOVE ARE TWO BABIES FROM BUFFIE'S LAST LITTER OF FIVE, BORN AUGUST 15, 1998