norma henderson a celebration of her life. “well you must have been a beautiful baby…”

Norma HendersonA Celebration of Her Life

“Well you must have been a beautiful baby…”

• Norma’s family did not have electricity or running water until she was about 16.

• Can you imagine hauling all the water you use in buckets? Or doing homework by a kerosene lamp?

• Norma burned her hands on a space heater when she was about two.

• This led to a series of operations to repair the tendons and to graft skin on her hands.

• The operations were paid for by the Rotary Club. She visited the Selinsgrove, PA Rotary club a few years ago and thanked them for their help.

Norma Starts SchoolAge 9 Age 12

High School

Check out the Hair Styles!We’re in the ’60’s now!

Norma went to Vietnam

• Her brother was working in Vietnam for a construction company.

• Norma was looking for adventure.• And there were all those American men there!

Norma lived in a luxurious “villa” in Vietnam with Freddy, her dog

It was in Vietnam where she met Lt. McDreamy (Mike Henderson)

Mike and Norma were married in 1972 after returning to the US

We began married life in New Orleans

New Orleans

But soon moved to Washington, DC

New Orleans

Washington,DC

Norma painted the outside of our Virginia house by herself

She received her BS degree from George Mason in 1977

And then we moved to San Jose

New Orleans

Washington,DC

San Jose

Norma in Northern California

After a couple of years in San Jose, we moved to Largo, FL

New Orleans

Washington,DC

San Jose

Largo

Our house in Florida

In Florida we hosted foreign students

Hiroko, Jim, Kenji, Norma, Pusser, and Mike Kenji’s parents visit with Mike & Norma

Norma at Jim’s college graduation

Here with Yoshiko Monden

We traveled for Vacations…

In Vermont in 1983 In Moscow in 1995

…Including a cruise of the Baltic

Oslo

Berlin

On board ship

And a Trip to Japan

On the way

In Kyoto

After 17 years in Florida, we moved to SoCal

New Orleans

Washington,DC

San Jose

LargoTustin

She began tutoring adults in English

Cooking classCarving pumpkins

She became active in Tustin AAUW

More Tustin AAUW pictures

We took a Mediterranean cruise

Norma, all dressed up

And an Alaskan Cruise

All Aboard!!

With Mike’s brother, Boyle, and his wife, Cindy

And visited London and Paris

In front of Sacre Coeur

At the Queen’s Quarters

Norma was diagnosed with lung disease and received a lung

transplant in 2004

Norma with Dr. Saggar, her pulmonologist

A Truly Beautiful LadyRest in Peace