by Jerry Connors

Harrisburg, PA — Rose Tenzer, 87, of Lake Worth, Fla., mother of U.S. Harness Writers Association member Sherry Skramstad and owner of the notable broodmare Numbered Account, died April 18, 2010.

Mrs. Tenzer and her husband Sol had a daughter, Wendy, who had Down syndrome, and she spent most of her life raising money to aid developmentally disabled adults, both in her native Brooklyn and later in Florida, where she was president of Friends of the Retarded and where a community home was named for her and her husband. Sherry Skramstad, her eldest daughter, recently published a book entitled “Wendy’s Wisdom,” which remembered fondly the special life of her sister, who died in 2007.

Mrs. Tenzer was also a harness horse owner, with her horses racing mostly at Monticello Raceway. Although she owned little more than a dozen horses and bred only three mares, one prize female, Numbered Account, was a consistent producer of fast, sturdy horses. Out of nine foals, Numbered Account had eight get to the races, with five getting 2:00 marks and six winning $50,000 or more in a far less speedy and lucrative time. Numbered Account’s foals showed their toughness by posting 212 career victories among them.

Two of her best were Hidden Account, who won Monticello Horse of the Year honors in the 1980s, and Son Of Account, a star early in the New York Sire Stakes, but still going strong years later at seven, when he took his lifetime mark.

Mrs. Tenzer is survived by her husband, Sol; daughters, Sherry Skramstad and Valarie Sager; and grandsons, Michael and Daniel Sager.

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Down Syndrome Congress.