Palestine High School Alumni Association

Norma Rausin 1944

11 / 05 / 1926  –  04 / 14 / 2006

Norma Jeanne Rausin Savage died at Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico, with her daughter Carol by her side, early in the morning of Good Friday, April 14, 2006.

There will be a graveside ceremony at her burial in Palestine’s City Cemetery at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. The Rev. Jay Abernathy will conduct the service.

Norma was born and raised in Palestine, and her parents, grandparents and many other relatives are buried in this beautiful, peaceful East Texas setting. Her husband Allan will join her there when his time comes.

Bailey & Foster is handling the arrangements.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 04-18-2006

Norma Jeanne Rausin Savage, age 79, died in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on April 14, 2006, after a long and valiant fight against cancer and lung disease that extended over a 30-year period.

Norma was born in Palestine, Texas, on November 5, 1926, to Ruby Land and Owen Lacey Rausin. She grew up in Palestine during the depression years and lived there until she graduated from high school in May, 1944. Her father Owen was a railroad engineer. Her mother Ruby devoted her life to raising Norma and her brother, Owen Lacey Rausin, Jr., and also to providing for other members of their families who suffered financially during the hard years of the depression.

Norma accepted Christ as her Savior at age 12 and was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Palestine as long as she lived there. She had many cherished memories of growing up in a small town with church and school friends. Music always meant a lot to her. She played the piano and was a clarinet player in the high school band. After graduating from Palestine High School in 1944, she worked in the Anderson County Clerk’s office that summer. In the fall of 1944, she went off to college at Texas State College for Women (T.S.C.W.) in Denton, Texas (now Texas Women’s University). Each summer while in college, she returned to Palestine and worked in the County Clerk’s office or as secretary to one of the County Judges. Upon graduation from T.S.C.W. in May, 1948, Norma went to work for Humble Oil & Refining Company in Houston as a legal stenographer in the Law Department.

In August of 1948, Norma met Allan Savage on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend. At that time, Allan was a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, but he managed to spend many weekends over the next year in Houston. They were married in Palestine on August 13, 1949. Norma continued to work at Humble Oil until the birth of their first child, Lamar Allan, in 1953. Wayne Lacey was born in 1958, and Carol Jen came along in 1961. These were happy years during which Norma was active, along with Allan, in several Baptist churches, as the family moved to different sections of Houston. She was also involved in Allan’s professional accountant activities, along with raising three children. In 1962, the family moved to Austin, Texas, where Allan completed a PhD degree at UT Austin in 1966. After graduation, the family lived in Arlington, Texas, for four years where Allan taught at The University of Texas at Arlington, and then in 1970 moved to Las Cruces and New Mexico State University.

In her years in Las Cruces, Norma was not only a devoted wife and mother, as always, but was also an active volunteer in several organizations. She started the Reach to Recovery Program in Las Cruces for the American Cancer Society and was the Coordinator for the program for several years. In 1984, she received the Terese Lasser Award from the New Mexico Division of the American Cancer Society for outstanding service to the Reach to Recovery Program and again in 1991 was recognized for her service to the American Cancer Society. In 1988, Norma and four other Las Cruces women were recognized by Valley View Hospital for their service to Las Cruces and the community in general. She also served in the Memorial Medical Center Auxiliary for 15 years. A favorite activity was her service as Board Member and Mother Advisor for Rainbow Girls Hope Assembly #43 for a number of years, where she was able to influence the lives of many young girls. She also took great joy in being a member of the New Mexico State University Faculty Women’s Club from 1970 until her death and was President of that organization for the academic year 1984-85. For over 15 years, she was an active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter I, a philanthropic organization, which she dearly loved. Although health problems limited her activities in her last few years, she never tired of writing cards and letters to keep in touch with friends in these organizations.

Norma lived her life with a strong faith and a great love for people. During her years in Las Cruces, she was an active member of the University Methodist Church (earlier years) and, for the last 20 years or so, the First Presbyterian Church. She dearly loved her children and grandchildren and wanted to be a part of their lives as much as possible. Favorite recreations were playing bridge, square dancing and ballroom dancing, traveling around the country in a motor home, and doing genealogy research. She and Allan enjoyed all of these activities together for many years. Norma had numerous friends and lived a truly abundant life in spite of serious health issues.

Norma is survived by Allan, her husband of 56 years, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and two sons and a daughter. Son Lamar Allan and his wife Patricia of Gold Beach, Oregon; son Wayne Lacey and wife Teresa of Carrollton, Texas, and their four children Lacey Dawn Edwards and husband Ryan Edwards of Lexington, Kentucky, Tyler Ross of Chicago, Illinois, Mariah Nell and Jeremiah Luke, both of Carrollton; and daughter Carol Jen Watkins and her husband Lowell and their two children, Emily Jeanne and Robert Allan, of Las Cruces. She was preceded in death by her brother, Owen Lacey Rausin, Jr.

Norma Jeanne was buried at the City Cemetery of Palestine, Texas, on Thursday, April 20. A Memorial Service in celebration of her life will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Boutz Road, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88005, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 8, with the Rev. Norm Story leading the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund; the Las Cruces Gospel Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 386, Las Cruces, NM 88004; the American Cancer Society, ATTN: Web, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, GA 30368-2454; or a favorite charity. Allan and the family wish to thank Dr. Bishnu Rauth and Dr. Sidney Webb for their excellent care of Norma for so many years. It surely extended her life. They also thank Memorial Home Health Care nurses Bertha and Sally for their care of Norma over many months. Thanks to Martha and Olivia who, for the last three months, were such a great help to Allan in taking care of Norma at home and in the hospital. And to the many friends who prayed for Norma, visited with her, and brought food to the home, Allan and the family give sincere thanks.

Arrangements were with Bailey-Foster Funeral Home, Palestine, Texas, and Graham’s Mortuary, Las Cruces.

Source: Las Cruces Sun-News 05-01-2006