Weeks from his last moments on earth, when his heart would ultimately fail him, James Shepherd said he had heard Norma concede what hed known all along. As word of the allegations got out, the Ku Klux Klan descended on Groveland, shooting at the houses of black people or burning them down. My father did not carry prejudice, Erma said. James Shepherd eventually did work his way back from Orlando to Lake County, but he knew he could never again live in Groveland. He was trouble. As Alene Shepherd described to her daughters the meeting between James and Norma, neither Vivian nor Erma doubted their parents for even a second. Greenlee at 16 was the youngest. She strained to hear through the doors as the House voted unanimously, 117-0, to apologize to the families of the Groveland Boys. Her prayers were truly legendary. Samuel had been dead nearly 50 years, and despite Jamess reputation as a man of character and faith, the Shepherd name remained tainted in Lake County; Willis McCalls rendition of the Groveland story became the version that endured. November 22, 2021., 321 N. Pearl St. Centralia, WA 98531 Norma was born on September 19, 1942 in Houston, Texas to Willie Norman Martin and Blanche. Gov. Vivian Shepherd was living in Gainesville in 1998 when she received a Monday night telephone call from her mother. Lutheran Church 110 S Main St, Mt Holly, NC 28120. Condolences may be sent to the family at: Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. By 1998, Willie was dead, as was Norma's second husband (whose surname she uses today), and the 66-year-old widow was still living in Groveland. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? On the first floor is a historical museum with a modest kiosk dedicated to the Groveland Four. Ok, maybe not. . Complications from his diabetes had resulted in a few amputated toes, hands that had become increasingly numb, and a weakening heart. This time, however, the nation was watching. But, if the need ever arose, she would have led the firemen into the burning building. Until then, Gladson said he was prepared to draft a remorseful and sympathetic letter to the families closing the case. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Norma Lee (Mount Holly, North Carolina), who passed away on January 31, 2022 at the age of 86. Beloved. He started at The Times in 1980 and left in 1995 to be sports editor of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Co. sports coordinator in 2002. Please reset your password. This browser does not support getting your location. No matter what, you can always turn to The Marshall Project as a source of trustworthy journalism about the criminal justice system. Service July 12, 1 PM at Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA. Thanks for your help! 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. All that weve doneall that weve worked forIll never get that moment back.. Honor a loved one by planting trees in their memory. You know, Alene said. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. 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. He married Mary (Freeland) Padgett on September 21, 1985 and she preceded him in death on June, 7, 2012. Whatever the case, Normas prayers were truly legendary and touched everyone around her. By daybreak, Norma turned up outside a caf in nearby Okahumpka, claiming that four black men had beaten up her husband and forced her into their car at gunpoint. Beloved wife to the love of her life, the late Robert Babin Padgett. Others say God brought her upstairs to stop her from pestering him with her persistent prayers. She is looking forward to seeing all of us in Heaven. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Failed to delete memorial. Alene gave them privacy, and the two former Groveland neighbors sat on the interior porch for about five minutes," she recounted to her daughter. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Lee was born February 16, 1956. They demanded that Sheriff McCall release the prisoners to them for what was certain to be a lynching. Floridas House of Representatives was scheduled to officially apologize for the gross injustices in the case of the Groveland Boys, and one of those boys was Samuel Shepherdthe uncle shed never metgunned down by Sheriff Willis McCall on the side of a dark Lake County road in 1951, 10 years before Vivian was born. She retired from the Lawton Indian Hospital in 2005, ending her 50-year career in nursing as the Supervisor of Nurses. We do not own or modify obituary in any way. They married on July 5, 1957 and Norma was his co-partner in ministry for the full 64 years of their union together. The story of the four men made national news but soon became a distant memory. He was paroled in 1962, moved to Nashville and died in 2012. Marshall, convinced that the jury would once again convict, and convinced that the judge would once again sentence his client to death, urged Irvin to accept the plea. Irvin was paroled in 1968 and died a year later of what were determined to be natural causes. Thousands of dollars worth of tools and farm equipment were stolen from a still-smoldering shed, and the Shepherds were forced to flee Lake County, holing up at a relatives home in Orlando. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Norma Lee to pay them a last tribute. By 1998, Willie was dead, as was Normas second husband (whose surname she uses today), and the 66-year-old widow was still living in Groveland. There are countless people we need to remember who suffered similar fates who have been lost to history, Marshall said Monday. Norma wandered into Okahumpka, 15 miles north of Groveland, the next morning and told a man she had been abducted. Then in 2013, the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction went to the author Gilbert King for his account of the saga, Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Word spread that some young black men in Groveland had raped a white woman, and a heavily armed mob of klansmen, accompanied by Willie Padgett and Normas father, Coy Tyson, showed up outside the Lake County jail. All information is taken from public resources. With James Shepherd at his side, Irvin considered the offer. Norma started life as it ended - sincerely loved by all around her. The pain was too great, and like so many victims of racial terror and brutality in the Jim Crow South, the Shepherds remained silent, not wanting to poison their own childrens hearts with stories of hatred. Age 85, of Buford, passed away July 10, 2019. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Norma added that she didnt much care for that nigger lawyer defending the Groveland Boys. A system error has occurred. The Myth - Norma died while rushing into a burning orphanage to save the children. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Norma Faye Padgett, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. Normas visit was unsolicited and unexpected, but James Shepherd welcomed her into his Lake County home and listened solemnly to the womans plea for forgiveness. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The sheriff picked up the two men at the state prison to drive them back to Lake County for the retrial. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. The Florida Legislature called for the exoneration of the Groveland Four in 2017, asking then-Gov. McCall, who had bragged about having stayed in office so long despite being investigated dozens of times, was acquitted by an all-white jury. They tell me my chickens and ducks are all gone, Shepherd said at the time, reduced to mumbling that he wanted no more trouble.. This page is a cache taken from the public sources. If you found a mistake or you want to remove or add obituary, please send us e-mail to info@obituary.memorial. That was a moment in time that I was supposed to be Norma will be remembered by her family as a loving mother and nana. Lee James Padgett, age 66, of Athens, Georgia, formerly of West Columbia, SC, passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2022. On Friday, in one of the first acts of newly elected Florida Gov. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Norma Padgett to pay them a last tribute. PADGETT, Norma J. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. In 1951, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his sons guilty verdict, calling the trial and its surrounding atmosphere one of the worst menaces to American justice, Sheriff Willis McCall decided to personally transport the defendants from Raiford prison back to Lake County for the retrial. During World War II, Vivians grandfather Henry Shepherd, the grandson of a Georgian slave, purchased 55 acres of swampland in Groveland, Fla., and spent the next few years enduring countless snakebites in his efforts to drain the property and make it something of value. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? You can always change this later in your Account settings. This is a glory hallelujah day, said Shepherds cousin, Beverly Robinson, at a news conference afterward. Norma is survived by a daughter, Karin Christensen, and granddaughter, Heidi Pavliska, from Vancouver, Washington; two great-grandchildren, Maximillian and Alexandra Pavliska; and many nieces, nephews and cousins as well as many others who proudly claim to be related to Norma from the love she radiates. ORLANDO, Fla. A judge Monday restored the constitutional right to presumption of innocence for the Groveland Four, granting a prosecutors motion to throw out indictments and convictions that ruined the lives of the four Black men accused seven decades ago of raping a 17-year-old white girl. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Hein would like to organize community discussions about the Groveland Four, but not have them run by city government. The Irvins and the Greenlees soon emerged from the elevators and spotted Vivian in the lobby. 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. Alene could see a man waiting by his car on the street. She lives in Georgia and had not spoken publicly about what happened since Irvins second trial until Friday. It happened, Vivian said. There was a line at the security entrance, and after passing through a metal detector, Vivian, a diabetic, was feeling hypoglycemic and recognized that she needed to eat something. Disclaimer: All information provided on this website is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site. Norma worked for the Commercial Security Bank from 1960 to 1978, and then started a real estate career which lasted for 25 years, retiring in 2004. The couple did have children together, but their marriage was anything but bliss. This website aggregate United States obituaries from different resources. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system, This story was published in partnership with. They had two daughters, Vivian and Erma, and lived peacefully there for many years. Vivian Shepherd has stayed in Lake County and lives in nearby Clermont. There is no photo or video of Norma Lee.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Weve updated the security on the site. Several attempts were made, through previously cooperative family members, to contact Norma for a comment on the state of Floridas apologies to the families of the Groveland Boys, as well as on the Shepherds story of her visit to their home in Clermont. On a nearby television monitor, she could see Rep. Bobby DuBose addressing the families. Shepherd was tortured into making a confession and tried with Irvin. He never held bitterness.. Throughout that summer, old friends arrived at the Shepherd home to pay respects to the trusty mechanic and longtime Lake County family man. 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. After a felony sexual assault charge in Orlando, he was in and out of jail on charges from fraud, to vehicle theft, to a sex offense with another minor in Miami. All Rights Reserved. John Griffin, who was 5 at the time, said his father took the family to nearby Montverde when the Klan started to arrive. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. You can try and keep dirt on top of it and keep it hidden from the public, but youll eventually start to smell it.. Well never put our work behind a paywall, and well never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. Padgett, now 89, declined her right to . 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. All copyright belongs to the respective owners. death notice Norma Lee Padgett Zampedri June 02, 1931 May 02, 2018 obituary notice Norma Lee Padgett Zampedri June 02, 1931 May 02, 2018. The past he simply buried. All have preceded her in joining God. Observers assumed it was for appearances sake in courtto present the image of a happy young farm couple whose lives were shattered by four black savages. Would you like to offer Norma Lees loved ones a condolence message? In 1998, Jamess health was failing. Friends will be received on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Kesterson-Rush Funeral Home, LLC. Year should not be greater than current year. The Padgetts led police to Shepherd and to Walter Irvin, who told authorities they had tried to help the couple fix the car but gotten into a minor scuffle and left. The Woman - Norma Zampedri was bigger than life itself. At a clemency hearing in 2019, when the men were posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov. All my life Ive felt as if a cloud hung over me, she said later. Search above to list available cemeteries. This account has been disabled. Norma was nurtured by Gods Word and Sacrament all the days of her life and is now with the Lord Jesus forever; John 14:1-3. Norma dropped the Padgett name, the couple divorced in 1958, and she remarried to another Lake County man a few years later. I knew what had happened was wrong but I couldnt do anything about it without new evidence, he said. Norma and Bob were the proud owners of Willis Jewelers (now Zabler Jewelers) in Clarendon Hills where they built a thriving business by earning the trust of their customers with their integrity and standards of quality. John Cherwa is a special contributor to the Los Angeles Times. Try again. When Vivian Shepherd, an administrative secretary at East Ridge High School, left her Lake County, Fla., home on the morning of April 18, she knew shed be cutting it close. 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 . 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. Visitation will be Monday, July 11, 2022 at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 64 Norfolk Avenue, Clarendon Hills from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Clarendon Hills Cemetery, Darien. Try again later. 3275 W. Roy Furman Hwy. 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. Normas family came to Utah in 1936 to escape the depression when all mining shut down in Oklahoma. Please try again later. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Despite what the doctors had said, she knew there was still strength in James Shepherds heart. Rogersville, PA, 15359. Norma Jean Padgett, 78, of Dale, passed away at 12:35 a.m., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, at Scenic Hills Care Center in Ferdinand.She was born May 27, 1940, in Jasper to Carl W. and Thelma Margaret (Rit 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. 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. Gladson had the pants analyzed at the FDLE lab in Orlando which reported, Using microscopy, no semen was identified . 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. Would you like to offer Norma Padgetts loved ones a condolence message? Try again later. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. It contained a pair of Irvins trousers which had smears on the front that had never been scientifically analyzed. When the two were done speaking, James came stoically back into the living room. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Cherwa also contributes general interest stories from Florida. The Heavenly Father made her blessed her whole life, and now she enjoys God forever. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. She is survived by : her mother Annie Underwood Hunter; her husband Robert; her children, 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 grandchildren, Aaron, Chad Ferrell, Isabella, Alexis Lee, Lauren Padgett and Conner Lee; and her great grandchildren, Charlotte Lee and Peyton Ferrell. Go to funeral home website to view original page. The Groveland Four is a part of Lake County history, and we want to cover it, good and bad, said Marli Wilkins-Lopez, who works there. James Shepherd attended the retrial and was standing with Walters mother when Thurgood Marshall informed them of a deal proposed by a representative of Gov. You cant change what happened, but you can clear our names. They knocked down his fences and allowed their cattle to graze on his land, destroying Shepherds crops just before harvest. She was born in Mecklenburg County to the late Vance and Annie Underwood Hunter. 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. She is survived by : her children, Mark Handley (Jayne), Melissa Turner (James), Sheryl Handley (Edward Steffes) and Scott Handley (Michele); and her step-children, Pamela Higgins (Jeffery) and Rob Padgett (Debbie). 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