Norma Denton

Tributes:

Mother was always amazing: full of hope, love, humor, optimism and inspiration to do the right

thing. She taught us that success is not about when things are going well, but how you respond when

the chips are down. My hero…the wind beneath my wings. “I Love you, BabyCakes”

-Tony

I was so blessed to have Norma Denton as my mother-in-law. Blessed because of the person that she

was-so loving, so caring, someone with a quick wit, wisdom, and great insight into human nature.

Blessed because she immediately and wholly welcomed me into the family as if I were her daughter.

She truly was my second mother. And blessed because of the rich lessons she taught her children

and the life-long character she helped to instill in each of them, including the love of my life, Tony.

In so many ways, her children and grandchildren, nieces, and nephews embody her indomitable

spirit. She provided unconditional love and support to everyone around her. She made us all feel

so special. I am so blessed to have had her in my life for 32 years. She will forever live in my heart.

-Lori Pierce Denton

Dear Grandma Norma,

From your words of wisdom to Sunday phone calls when you would call me “Mr. Evan,” every

moment with you was special. All of the smiles, laughs, Grandma Norma hugs and kisses are

moments I will cherish for the rest of my life. You aren’t just Grandma Norma, but Superwoman as

well. You always had the ability to make me laugh in every situation. Whether it was tricking the

waitress at my high school graduation dinner into thinking that you couldn’t hear, or the way you

would always say “peppers, peppers, peppers,” it was impossible to not smile and laugh when being

around you. A lesson that you instilled in me from an early age was that, if I wanted something in

life, I had to go and earn it. It’s a lesson that I carried with me each time the two of us sat down and

played Boggle at your dinner table,and is a mindset I still carry with myself every day I go to work

and chase my professional dreams. Thank you for being the strong matriarch of this family for

decades, and for always being in my corner. Your ability to offer the right advice at the perfect time

is a memory I’ll remember forever.

-Love you forever, Grandma Norma, Evan

Auntie Lee,

You have joined the choir of angels and are enjoying that grand reunion with family and

friends. Your job is complete here on Earth and you have left a wonderful legacy. Rest well. We

love you.

Nieces Ginger Cole and Gail Cole-Avent

Before we were born, you were Auntie, before we could talk or walk your loving arms were always

there. As we grew older we learned for sure that your love was real and guaranteed . A fantastic

sister-in-law you were,. the record will tell. Thank you Auntie Lee for all the love, the smiles and

laughter, but there’s something we will always remember, your witty and snappy responses that made

people laugh, made people think, and sometimes ask the question, is she talking about me.

-With all our love, your nephew, Darrow and Derrick (Ricky ) Turner

Grandma, college is going well so far, and I am going to continue to make you proud. I am going to

miss having our talks and your jokes. It’s going to take me a while to actually get through this, but I

have to remember that you are always here with me even if you’re not physically here. Thank you so

much for everything and you’re going to be missed. I also know that you are very proud of me and I

love you forever and ever!

Your great- granddaughter Saniyah

Mother,

God blessed us to have you as a Mother. Your spirit of Motherhood will remain in my heart and soul

forever. You will be my Mother for the rest of my life. Your love is exceptional and infectious. Your

smile lights up the room as you always let your “Little light shine!” When I looked at you in the

morning, I knew it was going to be a spirit filled, lovely day! Mama Bear, your unconditional love,

for all that love you is a testament to your love of God first , your faith and your love for the rest of

your baby bears. Your lifetime of intercessory prayer has blessed us all and in the words of Marvin

Sapp, “We never could have made it without you”. We know that God’s blessings guided you as our

Angel to see us through, and we are thankful and grateful to God. You are the winner of the

Lifetime Beautiful Soul award! You are the cog in our wheel, the glue in our togetherness and our

phenomenal family infrastructure designer! We are One, became our family mantra, and you &

Daddy worked since 1951 to build a family legacy, that bar none, brought joy & happiness for a

lifetime. Our forever goal and responsibility, is to ensure the 7-decade plus legacy continues for

generations to come. You have given so many sacrifices for your family from the time of diapers, all

the way to our AARP subscriptions! To coin your phrase “God is!” Even during your own medical

challenges, you were still making sure everyone was ok. Your “have a good day” texts, your

birthday text alerts, your self-created Avatar’s @ 85 years plus old were amazing, inspiring and

such wonderful lessons of being a life-time learner. You walked the talk. I was blessed to hang out

with you for the last decade. and as I told you many times, I would always be your Siamese twin.

Where you went, I followed, where you had to go, I was blessed to get you there and I am grateful to

God for answering what you have made an legacy prayer. I always heard you pray that God would

bless you to be here until all your children and grandchildren could take care of themselves. Your

prayer was answered. Likewise, my prayer, as the blessings of your longevity continued , was to be

with you throughout your blessed Nonagenarian journey. As you say, God is! As you have taught me

to say,….”He is at it again!” Thank you for leading us to God, for showing us how to love, and for

loving us.

-Love you more than words can say, Diane

In remembrance of your gentle spirit, dear Mother. We bid farewell to you, let us carry forward

your legacy of love, laughter, and most of all your resilience. Your love will always be our guide.

We will see you again. Rest well, Mrs. Norma Lee Denton, rest well.

-Love, Diana

I love my Grandma so so so so much and I will always miss her and think about her everyday I’m so

grateful I had my Great-Grandma for 12 years and I know she is in a better place. I love you so

much Grandma.

-Love, DJ

An Angel’s Wings

God whispered your name, as he gently guided you home, preparing you for the journey, you wouldn’t

face alone. Your earthly deeds, earned you angel wings, soaring to heights unknown. In amazement

and wonder, expressing delight, reunited with your family, rejoicing throughout the night. No more

worries of this world, you rested, in the peace & comfort, of God’s healing presence. Another

guardian angel, we’ve gained to watch over us forever in heaven. The love we’ve shared, the

memories we hold, our prayers of faith that strengthen us, when we’re alone. Will keep us connected

in our hearts, as we join hands, grateful for the blessing we share. Mother, we keep you forever in our

thoughts and prayers, we whisper your name, our love remains a solemn vow unbroken. We celebrate

your life, entrust you to God’s loving care. You’re now free of pain, distress and worry and no more

earthly burdens to bear. You completed your assignment, your destiny was fulfilled, your guiding star,

will light our paths and remain the compass for our lives, still. I love you Mother and remember love

never ends.

-Divine Order Florence

Grateful, grateful, grateful. If you know me, you know how much I LOVE my Grandma. My

relationship with her has been one of my greatest joys. It’s impossible to fully describe the depth of

her love. Every moment with her was my favorite moment.

Grandma, you taught me so many life lessons and provided me with countless blessings. From the

simple joys of talking for hours, laughing until our sides ached, going to church together, praying

together, shopping, you picking me up from school, cooking together every holiday, eating your

delicious food, playing games at the kitchen table, you styling my hair, helping me with homework, or

simply walking around the park—every second we spent together was a treasure. You were present

and involved in every single moment of my life, guiding me with your wisdom and filling my heart with

warmth and happiness.

All I know is love, and that’s because of you. Your love was unbelievable, undeniable, infectious, and

deeply cherished. You taught me that love and faith conquer all. You were my angel on Earth, a

perfect example of unconditional love. I owe you everything—my life and who I am today are entirely

shaped by your presence and love.

I will truly miss your kindness, wisdom, and sarcastic humor. You taught me to take life seriously, but

never too seriously reminding me to find joy in the little things, laugh often, and approach challenges

with a light heart and a sense of humor. You showed me the balance between responsibility and

enjoying life’s moments, and that is something I will continue to live by.

You were absolutely my greatest listener. You knew more about what I had going on or coming up

than I did myself. I felt so at peace when talking to you. They say great leaders are great listeners, that

they recognize knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening. It's no wonder you

led our family so well. I’m not sure what I’ll do without being able to physically hear your responses,

but I’ll keep talking to you - I'll never stop.

You set the standard in every possible way, Grandma. My love for you runs so deep. I thank God for

allowing you to live such a long, beautiful life. I’m so happy Khloe Drew got a chance to experience

your incredible love. I promise to carry forward the values and love you instilled in me. Your legacy

will continue to live on for many generations. I love you; I love you, I love you.

-Love always and forever, Crystal Marie

Grandma, I will miss you, my little cutie patootie! I am grateful and confident that your spirit will live

on forever and ever and even after that. You have brought genuine love, pure joy, constant

encouragement, support, endless care and most of all laughter into all of our lives. You have been my

calm in the storm many of days and nights. The endless sacrifices you made to make sure my sister

and I wanted for nothing is a true testimony to how GREAT you are. Thank you for loving us all.

Thank you for absolutely everything. I have a lifetime of memories that surely will make me smile

forever. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8) I love you!

-Love Always, Courtney Mae

For Grandma

Grandma, even though I’ve only known you for 10 years, I knew you were a very strong woman,

mentally and physically. I was so sad when I found out what happened, but you are in a better place

now. I love you with all my heart and I will miss you soooo much! Grandma is the strongest person I

have ever met in the whole world!! Thank you for making this family and loving this family. We will all

miss you Grandma!

-Love, Khloe Drew

In remembrance of your gentle spirit, dear Mother. We bid farewell to you, let us carry forward your

legacy of love, laughter, and most of all your resilience. Your love will always be our guide. We will

see you again. Rest well, Mrs. Norma Lee Denton, rest well.

-Love, Diana

Aunt Lee, you left an indelible mark on my heart Forever! I will always remember your wonderful

words of guidance and wisdom. You made me feel so warm when I was in your presence. When I think

about your laughter, and the jokes you’ve told, makes me Smile. Rest In Heaven Auntie. I will Miss

and Love You Always.

-Love Your Niece, Pat

Mother,

It's me.., Kenny. Technically, I am your 2nd son. Today, I must tell you and the rest of the world, I am

second, I say, I am second to none! Why? Because your spirit makes us all feel like # 1. You are #1 in

my book. Simply the best! Your sense of humor, your smile, wisdom and unconditional love

has sustained our family, You have made every holiday, birthday and just because I love you days,

more special than anyone can imagine.... You are a mother of a lifetime! Thank you for being one of

the driving forces in the creation of a 7= decade + family legacy. A life well lived and a life that will

inspire generations to come. Your next chapter will be a piece of cake, You have already spent a

lifetime as an Angel. Thank you for your love and for sharing your love with all that love you! You will

be a part of my heart forever! Kisses & Hugs

-Love Always & Forever Ken

A visitation for Norma will be held Thursday, September 5, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 West 103rd Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453.

A church service will occur Friday, September 6, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 W 95th St, Chicago, IL 60628.

A graveside service will occur Friday, September 6, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Mount Hope Cemetery, 11500 S Fairfield Ave, Chicago, IL 60655.