Carolyn Ladell Norwood
Heaven welcomed a good & faithful servant on August 5th when our wife, mother, and grandmother, Carolyn Ladell Norwood, 78, followed her Savior home. She stepped from this life into the Father’s promise with her husband and children by her bedside.
Mom was born December 7th, 1939 in Frederick, Oklahoma into a military family. Her father flew the Himalayas during World War II and served as an Army Civilian flight instructor following the war. The family moved often before Mom met the love of her life in San Marcos, Texas. She and Dad were married on August 22nd, 1959, shortly before he entered the Air Force. As a military wife, Mom followed Dad wherever the Air Force sent him. She managed 12 cross-country moves and set up house in Texas, Alabama, Florida, Puerto Rico, Kansas, Massachusetts, Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, and Virginia before settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1981.
She was a consummate homemaker, ensuring her family had a safe, comfortable, and inviting home wherever the family lived. Mom loved the Lord and sought to serve Him at each duty station. She & Dad made finding a church home a top priority after every move. Mom had a tender heart for children and faithfully taught Sunday School for over 52 years in churches across the country. She loved to tell young children about Jesus and God’s great love for them. She continued to spend hours each week preparing lessons and activities for the children into her seventies. Mom enjoyed sewing, interior decorating, antiquing, painting, hosting countless visitors over the years, a guilty penchant for diet coke, and picnics. (Every day, regardless of weather, was a good day for a picnic according to Mom.)
Most of all, she enjoyed her family. She was tirelessly devoted to her husband, her children, and grand-children. Mom was humble, loving, hospitable, forgiving, and she found it nearly impossible to say anything bad about people. She viewed others as God sees people – flawed, but far more worthy of love and forgiveness than criticism. She will be missed in ways that we cannot begin to imagine right now, but her legacy lives on in each of us and in the multitude of hearts she touched over the years. She is survived by her devoted husband of 59 years, George B. Norwood; daughter Kristi Hickman and husband Steve; sons Kyle Norwood, Kevin Norwood and his wife Kathy; grandchildren, Michael, Kaitlyn, and Matthew Hickman, and George, James, Virginia, Brianna, and Lindsey Norwood; sister Kathy Ignacio; sister-in-law Jo Free; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A Memorial Service in Celebration of her Life will be held at Del Norte Baptist Church in Albuquerque on August 25th at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to your favorite children’s charity or the Del Norte Baptist Church Children’s Ministry.