Norma Jean Bosiljevac
Norma Jean Bosiljevac, 86, passed over on
Nov. 5, 2021 surrounded by her family in the house she had lived in for fifty years. Jean is survived by her five children and 10 grandchildren.
Jean was born in Dunlap, Iowa to share croppers whose home had no electricity or plumbing. She enjoyed spending time with her dad in the fields and raising the animals. During WWII her mother relocated her and her two sisters to Omaha, NE where she was amazed to have electricity. When she was in the third grade, she came down with diphtheria and her brother Bob, who served in the Navy during WWII, and his shipmates raised enough funds to pay for her medical bills. She met her sweetheart George in the fourth grade and they started dating in the eighth grade. She enjoyed school and was a natural athlete who enjoyed playing basketball, softball and swimming. One of her favorite winter activities was skating at the local frozen pond and did not hesitate to join in with the guys to play a game of baseball or hockey. She and George also enjoyed dancing will into their seventies. Jean attended high school at South High in Omaha and graduated in 1953.
After high school, she worked full time as a switch board operator and attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha parttime. In 1956, Jean and George were married in Omaha and headed to New Mexico for their honeymoon to visit George’s aunt and uncle and then packed up and moved to Albuquerque
in 1957. She worked full time and joined the Dame’s Club at UNM. In 1958 they started their family and by 1965 they were raising three girls and two boys. In 1967, the family relocated to Virginia and then in 1971 they moved to the San Fernando Valley in California. After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, she packed up the kids and headed back to Albuquerque where there were no tornados, hurricanes or earthquakes.
After returning to Albuquerque in 1971, she joined a social sorority Beta Sigma Phi that became an extended family for over a decade while also providing lifelong friendships. In the late 80’s, Jean’s love of being a grandmother began and only continued to deepen as more grandchildren came under her wings.
Jean loved to listen to music and sing while working around the house and having her hands in fertile soil planting and tending to her plants. She exuded love and care towards every person and living creature that crossed her path. She will always be remembered for her generosity, warmth and sincere smile. She was an awesome mom who showed an unconditional love to her family. She was strong and courageous in difficult times and was a person of true grit. She was a role model for all her children and grandchildren.
Donation Information: In lieu of flowers, the family asks those individuals who wish to make a donation to do so at a local animal charity or the National Arbor Society in her memory.