Norma Smith

Norma Jacqueline Smith age 92, of Lake Odessa, MI passed away at the home she shared with her daughter and son-in-law for the past nine years. Born on March 27,1932 at home in Centerline, MI to Charles and Gladys (Wood) Hamden. She graduated from Busch High School in 1949 with a class of 49.

She attended the Detroit Business Institute. While in the Detroit area she worked for Judge Robinson and in the employment office of Midland Steel. She met her husband Ronald who was stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base in 1951. Norma and Ron married on November 1, 1952. They moved to Greenville, South Carolina where Ron was stationed after he returned from a year in Korea. Upon the birth of their daughter on November 1,1956 they bought a house in Warren, Mi., where she was a homemaker.

The family moved to Lansing in 1962, Norma was active in bowling league earning a 581 high series. She was a Girl Scout troop leader for many years and served on the Greater Lansing Girl Scout Executive board. Norma, her sister’s-in-laws and extended family met every Tuesday for lunch at the Lansing Mall beginning in 1970. She continued this tradition until ill health prevented her from attending in 2020, the tradition continues still.

In 1967 she and her family moved to the Lake Odessa area. After the marriage of her daughter, she returned to work at EBI Breakthru for 8 years, then worked at Pennock Hospital in Hastings, in Reception/Admitting before retiring twice at the age of 74.

Norma was a long-time active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Woodland, serving on the church council, ZLCW, other boards and committees. Norma also served on the Lakewood Community Council for many years. She was treasurer for the Crop Walk, supervised a food pantry and site supervisor for commodities give away.

Special thanks to niece Jerlene Kernya for calling Aunt Norma every Saturday at 10:00 for decades and friend Marie Brodbeck for always staying in touch.

Norma is survived by her daughter Kimberly (Paul) Meade; grandson Benjamin(Olivia) Meade and granddaughter Rachel (Kyle) Speelman ; brother-in-law Jerry Padden; sister-in-law Janet Buck and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; in-laws James and Vera Smith; husband of 54 years Ron; brother and sister-in-law Chuck and Betty Hamden; sister Muirlene Padden; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Norma and Bill Campbell, Myna and Tom Campbell, Marilyn and Bob Walters; brothers-in-laws Donald, Royce and Larry Smith.

According to her wishes no funeral will be held.