Jewel of the Luta
Not to be confused with Cleopatra or even Elizabeth Taylor, Marion's Jewel of the Luta has led an interesting and productive life. She's still doing it, which is more than can be said for Cleo or Liz.
She does so daily, as has been her penchant these nearly 99 years (going on 100 next week). She also does it weekly in the columns of this newspaper.
One wonders who came up with the idea of having Norma write a weekly column for the Ol' Thing. Like Topsy, it just happened.
Her Random Thoughts is one of the best read and well written portions of your home town weekly. Folks clamor for it.
Last week's feature story on Norma described her as a spirited woman in good health. That's a bit like saying the morning sunrise is inspiring. It's beyond description and so is Norma.
Our personal thoughts on Norma could fill this page. We recall moving to Marion when the Skelly station at the bottom of Elm Street was known as Bert McCullough's to folks around town.
We had mutual friends at El Dorado, where Norma often visited, and we recalled the good looking young women who kept up their friendship over the years.
When we moved to Marion back in '48 we well recall her vivaciously beautiful young daughters and her son's ability as a football player. Son Bud also has been a friend who's an expert at telling yarns which cause people to roll over laughing. Bud can say 'Well," like Jack Benny, and it cracks you up. It's his timing.
When the abstract office was upstairs in the newspaper building, Norma would take her books under arm and cross the street to do her duty at the courthouse. We can see it yet. She made countless friends among business associates.
We're proud of Rowena Plett's article and photo in last week's Record. It pegged her properly.
Norma's one of those "characters" who will never retire. Like the Eveready battery, she just keeps on going.
Her weekly columns are masterpieces. But, we have even more. Each week she puts one of those little yellow stick-on notes on her work. The messages are eagerly anticipated at the newspaper office.
When her column arrives, it is announced to the Ol' Editor who always responds, "What's in her little yellow note?"
Over the years we should have published those notes, or at least saved them.
As she begins her 100th year, we could establish another tradition. But part of the charm has been the anonymity of the notes. So we'll keep that confidence.
We hope you'll share birthday wishes with the Jewel of the Luta by dropping a card to 220 Elm, located just above the east bank. Norma has called that block "home" for most of the century.
— BILL MEYER
