Norman Lynn Lockett

Norman Lynn Lockett was born in the family home at Lockett, Texas, on July 30, 1933, to Lester Lawrence Lockett and Lillie Dale Lockett.  Norman grew up in the Lockett, Texas community surrounded by both the Lockett and Dale grandparents and many aunts, uncles and cousins.  At the age of 13, he moved with his family to a farm west of Meadow, Texas.  In 1951, he graduated from Meadow High School along with 26 other students.  He stayed home for the following year working in the family farm.  During this time he surrendered to the Lord’s call to ministry.  He attended Wayland Baptist University from 1952 until 1954 then graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in 1958. In 1955, he married Norma June Todd from Amarillo, Texas.  Two daughters were born, Lark Lynne in 1956, and April in 1959.  Norman and his family moved to Amherst in 1959, where he taught high school and coached football and both boys and girls basketball.  During 1963, they moved to Ft. Worth to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to follow his calling to ministry.  In 1964, he and Norma accepted a position as house parents at Buckner Baptist Children’s Home in Dallas, Texas.  Ministry at Buckner became the fulfillment of God’s calling for them where they remained for 25 years working in various programs and locations in Texas.  Norman served in Dallas as a house parent, director of recreation and director of home life.  Then he became the administrator of Buckner’s Southwest Texas Region and Maternity Home in San Antonio in 1970.  He returned to the Dallas campus as Administrator for the North Texas Region in 1976, which included the Buckner Children’s Home in Dallas.  Under his administration he implemented the firstprivately run emergency shelter in Texas as well as a drug treatment program for boys.  During this time the children’shome initiated group homes across north Texas in conjunction with Baptist churches.  After surviving a year long bout with cancer, Norman accepted a position as Director of Campus Living with the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home in St.Louis.  Retiring in 1996, they moved back home to the Lubbock area where he has spent the remainder of his time serving as Adult Sunday School Teacher at First Baptist Church and working in Word of Hope, a correspondence biblestudy for prisoners.He is preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Lillie Lockett; a younger brother, James Perry Lockett; and a youngersister, Precious Lockett Johnson.Norman is survived by his wife of 62 years, Norma; daughters, Lark and husband Keith Cooper, April and husband CraigHarwood; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.