Once upon a time there was a young woman named Norma Hansen. She was born in Provo Utah. She was raised during the depression with her family of five in a two room home. Her father was away from home most of the time, because unlike many families he had a job. A job that paid less than welfare but he believed in supporting his family himself. In spite of limited funds Norma grew up happy. She had many friends and even more boyfriends. However, when she was a teenager she lost both her grandparents and in October of 1941 her mother's heart began to fail. She was hospitalized for a month. Soon after, Norma was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had to have surgery to remove her appendix and part of her intestine. Soon after she was released from the hospital, Norma and her boyfriend Bill heard over the radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Bill would have to leave for the war.
In June of 1942 Norma's mother passed away from heart failure. Norma was just 18. She and Bill had decided to get married but her father said it was too soon after her mothers death and would not be socially acceptable. So Norma and Bill eloped in July of 1942. Her father was not present for the wedding. A few days later the couple would report for duty in New Mexico. The living conditions were substandard for a family but the couple was young and in love. Norma became pregnant with her first child. while she was 5 months pregnant Bill was in a train accident- he lived but he was put on leave. Once the leave was up he was assigned to a base in Virginia and Norma went home to Utah to deliver her baby. The baby was breech and because of crude delivery methods, Norma was unable to move the lower half of her body for two weeks. Bill was still away so Norma took care of their son alone for the first year. Bill came home and a few years later she had another baby. The baby was taken out of the room after birth and died about 30 min later. Norma wasn't told until the next morning. Over the next few years she had a few miscarriages and two more full term pregnancies- both babies died from spinabifida.
Norma, after having six children and only having 3 survive, once said, "my time for child bearing and burying was over"
She lost her father and spent many years struggling with her crohn's disease. She also suffered from kidney stones and spent many hours on dialysis. There were times in her marriage to Bill that they struggled- he smoked for many years and their goals and standards were not in sync. They eventually worked through those problems and In her old age her husband Bill passed away from heart failure.
Norma did not have a fairytale life. She had probably more than her fair share of trials. She is the heroine of her story. Through it all she never thought of herself. She was always helping others. She was a nurse by profession and a mother to all. It was said of her, "you shall be blessed with a disposition of sunshine and happiness that shall make people feel that they are indeed blessed to have your friendship" And people did indeed feel that way about her. No one wants to read about a heroine who wallows in her sorrow. We want to read about a heroine who keeps fighting for her happiness. Norma was a fighter. She was a woman of faith- she never let her trouble get her down, at least not for long. She wrote in a book of hers, "When facing your Goliaths, know that help is only a stones throw away"
Norma faced her Goliaths, and she had many, but she did not complain. When someone was facing a problem she would say, "can you change it?" "If you can do something about it then do it. If you can't, then accept it and move on" She was an example to many. she faced her challenges and she still came out smiling. She left a legacy of people who lover her. who have learned and are still learning from her example. She was sealed to her husband for time and all eternity. I know she is with him again. I also know that she is with those 3 children that she lost so long ago. She is living her happily ever after...
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