Padgett, now 89, declined her right to appear at the proceeding and present evidence or testimony, said State Attorney William Gladson, who provided the judge with newly discovered evidence to bolster the request for exoneration of the men. Groveland did not want anyone to know about it, said Vivian Shepherd, now 57. Norma requested she be cremated and laid to rest in Ogden City Cemetery next to her beloved Fred and that there be no public services. The impact she had on others in this half-decade of service in her chosen profession is immeasurable. The two were married over 50 years. November 22, 2021., 321 N. Pearl St. Centralia, WA 98531 From the time she was a girl, Vivian Shepherd was haunted by the World War II photograph of her uncle Samuel, stern-faced with his Army cap slightly cocked. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Norma was sternly warned to never again discuss the case. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. But a doctors examination of Padgett the morning after the alleged assault cast doubt on her rape accusations. Norma dropped the Padgett name, the couple divorced in 1958, and she remarried to another Lake County man a few years later. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. July 26, 1935 - Born to Alpha and Loretta Padgett on June 2, 1931, in Miami, Oklahoma, Norma grew up with a sister, Jean, and two brothers, Richard and Don. Private graveside services honoring the life of Norma Beth Martin Padgett were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at Mt. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Timothy Roberson officiated the service. 3275 W. Roy Furman Hwy. Norma will always be remembered for her stylish outfits with matching accessories and color coordinated closets. Walter Irvin, handcuffed to his best friend, was shot three times, but he survived to tell the FBI a story of cold blooded murdera version of events that the FBI later corroborated in its investigation, contradicting McCalls claim that he was attacked during an inexplicable escape attempt. Normas family came to Utah in 1936 to escape the depression when all mining shut down in Oklahoma. Published by Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jul. It was not the first apology that Vivian Shepherd had missed. The board disagreed. We are confident she would love seeing a smile on your face as you read her obituary. With tears that turned to sobs, the broken-hearted niece of Samuel Shepherd was enveloped by family hugs. On July 16, 1949, Norma Padgett, a 17-year-old white woman from Lake County, Florida, accused four black men of raping her and assaulting her husband after their car stalled on a rural road near the Groveland community. In 1972, he was serving his seventh term as sheriff when he was indicted for the murder of a mentally disabled black prisoner while in custody. Lee was born February 16, 1956. Failed to delete memorial. One day, when Shepherd was in her late 30s, she saw a picture of her uncle in a PBS documentary on the battles of the civil rights movement. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. Failed to remove flower. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Norma Padgett, 86, is the only one involved in the Groveland Four saga who is still alive. Thanks for your help! Try again later. And she could hear the applause as the representatives rose from their seats to face the dozen or so family members. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Vivian Shepherd was living in Gainesville in 1998 when she received a Monday night telephone call from her mother. Three of the men-Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin and Charles Greenlee-were quickly apprehended. You all just dont know what kind of horror Ive been through for all these many years. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Norma Faye Padgett, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Padgett, now 89, declined her right to . Among observers of the historic hearing were Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Devil in The Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, which chronicled a detailed account of the case. Norma Padgett Obituary. He was shot to death by Sheriff Willis McCall in Lake County, Fla., in 1951. "If the state wants to apologize for their treatment during and after their apprehension[,] fine," one family member wrote. Let the family know you are thinking of them. 4920 Main Street Downers Grove, IL NORMA PADGETT OBITUARY Norma Rose Padgett (nee Thornton) age 99 3/4, went home to her Heavenly Father on July 1, 2022. John Cherwa is a special contributor to the Los Angeles Times. Calling it an unimaginable privilege, Circuit Judge Heidi Davis cleared the names of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas, all now dead, to correct one of Floridas greatest miscarriages of justice from the Jim Crow era. Lori Lee Ferrell (Randy) of Cornelius, NC, Robert Jeff Lee (Phyllis) of Arlington, VA, Lesley Lee Padgett of Cornelius, NC and Kirk Hunter Lee (Candace) of Flower Mound, TX; her . That is why we have created a project that will help you find information about the deceased. He did not rape Norma Padgett, and he wasnt going to say he did, even if the state of Florida agreed to spare him from the electric chair. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Join the community that keeps criminal justice on the front page. Norma was born on March 25, 1936, the 5th of nine children of Walter and Mathilda Hauschild, in Dorchester, Illinois. (NEA. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Go to funeral home website to view original page. Despite Henry and Ida Maes attempts to reason with their neighbors, the harassment and threats continued. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Gerald Padgett of Hilliard, Florida, born in Brooker, Florida, who passed away on January 31, 2021, at the age of 71, leaving to mourn family and friends. We do not own or modify obituary in any way. Norma started life as it ended - sincerely loved by all around her. From a wheelchair, Norma Padgett, now 86, the accuser of the Groveland Four, spoke publicly for the first time since 1952 when she testified in the retrial of Walter Irvin, who was convicted a. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at the above address. Samuel Shepherd was one of the Groveland Four, a group of young black men who were victims of one of the ugliest episodes of the Jim Crow era in the South. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at Mt. Norma Padgett and her husband Willie after questioning by the states attorney, in a 1949 newspaper clipping. She spent the last 33 years of her career in Oklahoma, settling in Apache and working in Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Cyril Nursing Home, and the Lawton Indian Hospital. based on information from your browser. Walter Irvin was given a few weeks to recover from his gunshot wounds so that he could once again stand trial for the rape of Norma Padgett. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. And just as Marshall expected, Walter Irvin was once again convicted by 12 white jurors and sentenced to death. The incident began nearly 70 years ago on July 16, when Norma Padgett and her husband said that their car broke down and that they were accosted by four black men. Greenlee at 16 was the youngest. Norma spent her life helping others as a faithful servant of the Lord, nursing the sick. He was defeated in the next election. All have preceded her in joining God. I dont think there is any way that you can look at this case and see justice was carried out, DeSantis said at the hearing. Arrangements entrusted to Aarons Mortuary of Ogden. Norma was nurtured by God's Word and Sacrament all the days of her life and is now with the Lord Jesus forever; John 14:1-3. Norma Jean Padgett Norma Jean Padgett, age 78, of Dale, passed away at 12:35 a.m., on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at Scenic Hills Care Center in Ferdinand. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Search above to list available cemeteries. cemeteries found in Davenport, Polk County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 1955, after the prosecutor said he had doubts about the conviction, the governor commuted the sentence to life in prison. May the promise of our Lord Jesus at John 5:28 bring you comfort and hope. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. There is a problem with your email/password. Share your thoughts and memories of Norma, Share your thoughts and memories with family and friends of Norma, Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home - Wamego. She was predeceased by : her father Vance Hunter. This page is a cache taken from the public sources. It would be another 62 years before the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill formally apologizing to the Groveland families--an act that was repeated one week later, unanimously again, in the Florida Senate. Im not a rapists daughter.. To this day, she has not spoken to any journalists, nor made any public statements. It contained a pair of Irvins trousers which had smears on the front that had never been scientifically analyzed. Their marriage was rocky from the start. I knew what had happened was wrong but I couldnt do anything about it without new evidence, he said. NORMA ROSE PADGETT, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Franklin Lee, as well as her brother, Vance Hunter, Jr. Norma graduated from Mt. Failed to report flower. Carol Greenlee, daughter of Charles Greenlee, wept and fell into the arms of family members outside the courtroom. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The Padgett family owned land that abutted the Shepherd farm, and when Norma Lee Tyson married Willie Padgett, the young couple moved into a small house on the Padgett property. The resolution also calls on Gov. There is a new angel in heaven and her name is Norma. She called her mother: Why didnt you tell me?. She was born in Mecklenburg County to the late Vance and Annie Underwood Hunter. The guard was sorry. Go to funeral home website to view original page. Better to be alive, the civil rights attorney reasoned, and they could wait until the case quieted down before attempting to secure Irvins release from prison. Made any public statements to escape the depression when all mining shut down in.... It was not the first apology that Vivian Shepherd had missed you read her.. Anyone to know about it, said Vivian Shepherd had missed call from her:... 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