Norma Jean Larsen

Norma Jean Hanford Larsen Norma Jean Hanford was born in Wenatchee, Washington on July 12, 1933 to Jean Lowell Hanford and Pearl Emmeline Wyer Hanford. She died in Edmonds, Wash. on January 16, 2014 of liver disease, being peacefully surrounded by family in the preceding week. She had been in the excellent care of her son Jeff for the last 5 years. All her life she was an effervescent, charismatic cheerleader in more ways than one. Music was a large part of her life. She was self-taught at a young age the art of piano playing. She played by ear and used her talents to bless the lives of others. She had a lovely soprano voice. She was a church pianist for many years. She was also a volunteer at the old folk’s homes around the Seattle area where she sang and played for them. For 7 years in later life she worked as a nurse to care for the elderly. She was compassionate and worked well with them in her young life the family spent a lot of time singing around the piano at home, creating many happy moments. She worked with troubled teens, helping turn them around, evening bring them into her own home. She was an excellent cook and housekeeper and when children were little, she made their clothes. She loves animals, having many special cats and dogs over the years. She had a lamb that followed her around and she milked a cow when first married. She also helped in the cornfields that were where the upper orchard is today. She graduated from Chelan High School in 1951, even though she had married young. In her youth she backpacked in the North Cascade Mountains, even in winter where snowshoes were required to get to Sulfide Cabin. Norma Jean was a master gardener and she nurtured many gardens from the oval petunia patch at Lake Chelan to the Heart shaped rose bush in Bothell. She was an avid sports fan whether it was football on TV or Jeff’s many soccer games. Places that Norma lived include Wenatchee, Wash.; Chelan, Wash.; 25 Mile Creek, Wash.; Ketchikan, Alaska (3 years), many different places around Seattle Wash. area; Priest Lake, Idaho; and Edmonds, Wash. Her 7 children include Jody McCullough of Livermore, Colorado; Pamela Seton of Malaga, Wash.; Heidi Burnett (deceased); Andrew Burnett of Kent, Wash.; Thomas Burnett of Chelan, Wash.; Rebecca Odle of Wenatchee, Wash.; and Jeffrey C. Nelson of Edmonds, Wash. Norma Jean was married to Joseph H. Burnett on November 7, 1950; Carl Eugene Nelson 1969 (deceased) and Harvey Larsen, June 1, 1987. She has a sister Nita Lund of Malaga, Wash.; a brother Joseph A. Hanford of Chelan, Wash.; and nephew Michael Hanford of Monroe and niece Lois Bernhard of Everett, Wash. She also has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services for Norma Jean Larsen will be at Precht Rose Chapel on January 28, 2014, 11 a.m., with burial service to follow at Riverview Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Please share your share thoughts and memories for the family at prechtrose.com. Services under the direction of Precht Rose Chapel, Chelan.

Tributes

Norma Jean Larsen

July 12, 1933 - January 16, 2014