Norma R. (Hoffman) Saunders

On the evening of May 7 th Norma R. Saunders slipped free from the struggles, heartache and impediments of her earthly life. Though she will be missed by the remaining seven of her eight children we are cheered by the peaceful transition into her new life beyond. She was the last of a generation born in Huron South Dakota to Mildred and James Hoffman in 1927. She finished high school and enrolled at Huron Collage but to meet and marry our father, Angus. Our father quit school as well and entered the Air Force on a program called Boot Strap. After graduating cadets as a pilot, he and Norma were stationed all over the United States and Labrador, all the while raising five boys and adopting three young Korean girls.
Norma was an accomplished artist and seamstress and a chef to boot, though raising eight children limited most of her talents to the chef part. After her children grew old enough, she worked several office jobs; personnel officer at Grants, financial office at Fays and Hancock Air Base. She loved to keep a garden but her main hobby was supporting her husband’s many projects, farming, bee keeping, maintaining a wood lot and many others.
After the passing of her husband, she volunteered at the library and coffee shop in the senior living center where she lived. She finally had time for reading books and playing cards, two of the pleasures she enjoyed in her twilight years.
Her legacy will live on with the seven children, twenty-three grandchildren and twenty plus great grandchildren that she leaves behind. Patriotic, kind, generous, hardworking, selfless; the accolades could go on forever, people like Norma Saunders are a rare breed and so will be missed by all.

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