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Submitted: 11/7/20 • Approved: 3/5/22 • Last Updated: 3/8/22 • R293000-G292998-S3
Joseph
March 10, 1920 - December 30, 1986
Rita
January 2, 1925 - October 25, 2016
Rita Ballard Norris, 91, of Vivian, Louisiana, went home to be with Her Lord Tuesday, October 25, 2016. Rita was born at the Pump Station in Trees City, Louisiana January 2, 1925 to Susan Onora (Wynn) and John William Ballard.
A faithful member of Emmanuel Baptist Church almost from its inception, Rita served the church in many capacities, including as treasurer and as a Sunday School teacher. Due to hearing problems in her later years she watched church on television for the closed captioning. For many years she faithfully watched Jeff Schreve of the First Baptist Church in Texarkana every Sunday morning.
Rita worked for many years at the Vivian Branch of the Shreve Memorial Library, retiring in 1985. She enjoyed reading the Bible and Christian suspense novels and she loved watching golf, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Judge Judy, and The Voice. She also loved action/spy thrillers – or as my sons joked, the more car chases and explosions, the better. She also enjoyed working on her family tree, as well as sewing, quilting, needlepoint embroidery, and all sorts of other crafts. She was an excellent cook, though she didn’t think so. However, what she enjoyed most of all were get-togethers with family, whom she missed very much.
In her retirement she drove many family members, church members, friends as well as acquaintances to Shreveport and, on one memorable occasion, to Baton Rouge for doctor visits, to catch a bus or plane, attend a family wedding, or go wherever else they needed to go, often with hilarious results, especially if my Aunts Winnie, Velma, or Louise were involved.
The comments made most often about Rita are that she was sweet and a true, dignified, Southern lady. She was also generous, kind-hearted, thoughtful, and always tried to do the right thing.
On July 13, 1946, Rita “eloped” at my father’s insistence and married Joseph Marvin Norris “secretly” in Bossier City, a secret that his sisters figured out well before the “elopement”. After 40 years of marriage, Joseph Marvin Norris preceded Rita in death December 30, 1986. She was also preceded in death by twin babies born prematurely in 1947 and by her siblings Ruth America Ballard, John Wayne Ballard, Frank Ross Ballard, and Regina Ballard Taylor and their spouses, as well as Marvin’s eight siblings and their spouses.
Rita is survived by her daughter Toni Norris Verbois of Vivian, Louisiana and her grandsons Paul Douglas Verbois and wife Mindy of Gonzales, Louisiana and Nathan Patrick Verbois of Pasadena, California as well as a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
I wish to thank my sons who each took a turn faithfully and patiently sitting with their grandmother in the hospital – Paul in 2012 and Nathan this July – my good friend Randy Slagle and her husband, Jim for their help and support these last few months - my cousin Sylvia Selman Dial for her helpful suggestions - my cousin Stephanie Ballard Blake for the phone calls and notes and letters she sent to Mother - my boss Bill Kalmbach for being so understanding about the time I had to take off to help Mother – everyone at the Clip ‘N Curl Salon – everyone for their prayers on Mother’s behalf - and lastly the staffs of the NCMC 2nd floor and of Heritage Manor Bossier City for their excellent care of Mother. If I missed anyone it was unintentional.
Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Friday, October 28, 2016,at Gorsulowsky Funeral Home in Vivian. The celebration of Rita Ballard Norris’ life and her Homegoing will take place at 10:00 am, Saturday, October 29, 2016 also at Gorsulowsky Funeral Home with Pastor Eddie Briery officiating. Burial will follow in the Vivian Cemetery.
Pall bearers are her grandsons Paul and Nathan Verbois, Richard L Blake, J.Frank Gibson, Brent R Hatfield, and Clint D McEachern.
Contributed on 11/7/20 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 293000