SOUTH OTSELIC – Norma Jean Rose Ault, of Portland, Oregon, passed away after a short illness on February 1, 2008. She was 85 years old.
Norma Jean was born on July 12, 1922 to Irene and Carson Rose in Lone Mountain, Tenn. She grew up in Tazewell, Tenn. She graduated from Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Tenn. and also attended the University of Kentucky where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and Phi Beta, honorary music fraternity. Norma went to high school with Frank Ault, they dated in college and on February 15th 1943, Norma married Frank while he was on leave from the submarine service in the Navy. For the next two years she lived with two other Navy wives in Santa Monica, Calif.. While there she attended UCLA and became a Red Cross Nurse’s Aide. Upon discharge from the Navy, Frank and Norma moved to Charlotte, N.C. for two years, where their first child was born. After living several years in Atlanta, GA, where three of their four children were born, they moved to Norwich in 1954 due to her husband’s job with the Norwich Pharmaceutical Company. In 1961 the family moved out to the country to “Broadlawns” in South Otselic.
Broadlawns became the beloved family home. Frank grew large vegetable gardens which kept Norma busy in the kitchen, preparing and freezing the vegetables, mainly green beans. They did a lot of entertaining and Norma was always the gracious hostess. They were famous for their annual Labor Day corn and clam bake feast. Norma’s greatest pleasures in life were being with family and friends.
Norma loved to travel. One of the most memorable trips was when the family went to Hawaii in 1959 for Christmas vacation, with stops in San Francisco and Disneyland. She and Frank attended many wonderful conventions, through his work, in Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, as well as different U.S. cities. After her husband retired they became snowbirds and spent six months every year at their condo in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Norma was a longtime member of the South Otselic United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Norwich Garden Club. She enjoyed piano, golf, bridge, reading, cooking and good food with a weakness for chocolate. After her husband passed away in 2000, Norma continued to go to Florida for a few years. Then in 2005, she moved to Portland to be close to her family.
Norma loved people. She was a warm, caring, generous, thoughtful and kind person who also had a good sense of humor. She was so friendly and always had a smile on her face. A classy lady, she was always fun to be around. She was a devoted wife for 57 years, a wonderful, loving mother to her four children, and had many dear friends. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Norma was preceded in death by her husband Frank in 2000, son Franklin in 1998 and son John in 2003. She is survived by a son, Michael, of Portland, Ore.; a daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Bob Trexler, and her grandson, Carson of Portland, Ore.; a sister-in-law, Kathryn Watts of Union, SC; cousins, nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held at the South Otselic United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 30 at 11 a.m.
Remembrances may be made in Norma’s name to the South Otselic United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.