Norma Jean Whitledge

Norma married Reverend Bill Whitledge on June 19, 1954, and the two shared 57 years of marriage before his passing in 2012. She deeply loved being a preacher’s wife and faithfully served as a Sunday school teacher at Dayton Baptist Church in Mansfield during the 25 years Bill pastored there. Norma and Bill were also former members of Trinity Baptist Church in Fort Smith. While attending Trinity, they made life-long friends there. Norma cherished summers spent with her grandchildren, taking them to Vacation Bible School and teaching them about the Lord.

Norma retired from the Fort Smith Public Schools, where she worked both as a bus driver and as a paraprofessional in the special education department. She cared deeply for the children she worked with and took great pride in helping and supporting them.

In her later years, Norma treasured the time spent with her family and loved capturing those memories with her camera. Her children would often tease the grandchildren, saying, “Watch out, Mamaw’s coming with the camera!” While many of her pictures were missing a head or not the best quality, every photo reflected the love she had for her family and the memories they shared together.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Rev. Bill Whitledge; her infant daughter, Billie Jean Whitledge; and her son, Terry Whitledge.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughters, Becky Hardcastle and husband Lee, and Melinda Bowman and husband Michael; her grandchildren, Micah Boerjan and husband Chris, Trevor Hardcastle and wife Courtney, Kimberly Ohm and husband Hayden, Heather Pagel, and Erin Bowman; and her great-grandchildren, Abigail, Alyssa, Camden, Harper, and Hendrix, along with many other family members and friends who will miss her dearly.

Visitation will be held Monday, June 1, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th St., Fort Smith, AR 72901. Funeral services will take place Tuesday, June 2, at 10:00 a.m. in the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Following the service, Norma will be laid to rest beside Bill at Fort Smith National Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.