Norma J. Jennett

Norma Jean Van Vleet was born on a farm 11 miles south of Jennings Kansas on October 15, 1934 to two proud parents, Hallie Bertha and George M Van Vleet. She was the second to last child born to Hallie and George. Norma had five brothers and a sister, Claude, Clarence, Bill and Ila (twins) Elmer and Albert. Norma's childhood was typical of a young Kansas farm girl, chores, milking the cows in the morning, feeding the horses and helping her mother cook and can. Her father always said the cows gave more milk when Mom was milking them. He attributed it to her yodeling and singing skills! Norma was educated in a 1 room country school through the 8th grade. It was at that point she roomed and worked for four years to complete her high school education – one year at Oberlin KS and 3 years in Lenora KS. She graduated from Lenora in May of 1951. After graduating, Norma went to Wichita to help her sister, Ila, who had just had twins. She helped care for the babies, Chuck and Kristen, as well as their oldest son, Craig. She eventually went back home to Jennings to help out on the farm. Norma came to Denver with Jenny Mindrup – soon to be her sister-in-law, in January of 1952. She stayed in Englewood with her Aunt and Uncle (Opal and Harold) and was employed as a bookkeeper for Montgomery Ward. She moved on to the Englewood State Bank as a bookkeeper and proof operator for four years. It was during these four years that Norma's life was to change – and so was Robert Paul Jennett's! They married on October 17, 1955. They had three beautiful daughters, Carol Ann, Colleen Marie, and Cristin Kay. Sadly, Norma was preceded in death by a son, Christopher Paul in March of 1964. She worked very hard as a homemaker raising her three daughters while Robert traveled for the Comptroller of the Currency examining national banks. There were many times that Norma would call the schools that her daughters were attending and tell them that they weren't coming in to school that day – those were the days when it would be a ""girls day out"". Shopping, maybe even lunch at Woolworths or even maybe lunch at the Denver Dry tea room! That was a treat! As the girls grew up, Norma and Bob's time was spent attending high school sporting activities, concerts and other various school activities. Norma loved and enjoyed her girls very much. She loved to sew new outfits for them, attending those many volleyball, basketball and softball games, and attending the Denver Broncos football games in the fall as a proud season ticket holder (this was at a time when fans would cheer when the Broncos made a first down – they were that bad!) She loved going to the theater as she always had a love for music and dance. Norma was preceded in death by her husband, Bob. Norma is survived by one brother, Elmer (Jenny) Van Vleet, a sister-in-law who was more like a sister to her, Jeanne (Fred) Simpson, three daughters, Carol (Julie Kaufman) Jennett, Colleen (Mike) Marshall, and Cristin (David) Snelling, three grandchildren, Christopher, Erin and Megan as well as many nieces and nephews. She will always be loved and remembered and we will miss her dearly! Remember me with smiles and laughter For that's the way I will remember you all If you can only remember me with tears and sadness Don't remember me at all In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Christ on the Mountain Catholic Parish or the Ovarian Cancer Research fund (ocrf.org)