Norma Jean Andrews Blankenship Green

Norma was born 1 Dec 1941 in Lenoir, North Carolina to Roy Andrews and Ola Keller. She came from very humble beginnings in the Western North Carolina hills of Kings Creek. She had two brothers Pete Andrews Blankenship and Tommy Andrews, whom she played with in the holler. She also lived close to her maternal grandmother, Mamie Lackey Keller, whom she was very close, and her great grandparents Lackey.

Norma’s Mom and birth father divorced when she was young. She was cared for and raised by her step-Dad Rom Blankenship, who was a real father to her and they truly loved each other. She was so excited on February 3, 1958, when he was finally able to adopt her as a teenager.

 The best thing to ever happen to Norma was when she was five years old, her parents moved her and her brother Pete to Forestville, Maryland and shortly after, Granny followed. Norma spent a lot of time with Granny, learning many homemaking skills that she in turn passed down to her eldest daughter.

Norma met her lifelong partner and husband Lawrence (Larry) Green, at a high school dance in Maryland. Norma was Protestant and Larry was Catholic and their relationship was “taboo”. It was very much frowned upon by his parents, but they were not to be stopped. They ran off and eloped on January 21, 1959 and were married by a minister at St. Mary’s Church in Leonardtown, Maryland. Larry joined the Air Force to support his new wife and the surprise “Honeymoon Baby”.

Norma supported her husband Larry through a 20-year Air Force career, several remote tours without his family, including two tours to Vietnam. Through all of this she raised four children as a stay-at-home mom. She moved around with Larry for his career to Puerto Rico, Arkansas, Washington State and Wyoming. He retired in 1977 to Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

Norma always had a genuine love for her pets and had many dogs through the years. She even bred Pekingese for a little while. She gave her love for pets to her youngest daughter and they had some exotic pets, like a tarantula and a very large iguana. 

Norma was very talented artistically. She used those gifts in sewing matching dresses for her two oldest daughters. Every Christmas there would be a shoebox full of Barbie clothes from the leftover fabric from the clothes she had made her girls.

She was also a very talented crocheter and made beautiful dollies, scarves and afghan blankets. She was very good at tatting beautiful lace. When her kids were older, she went back to school and obtained her high school diploma. She also took a Wilton Cake Decorating class and came home every week and taught her eldest daughter what she learned. She took a ceramics class and made beautiful pieces. Norma had drawing abilities that could have been really good had they been honed. Her artistic skills were passed down to children and grandchildren. Her son had some art pieces he excelled at in school. One grandson became the Sterling Scholar for Art in High School.

Norma loved music and dancing shared that love with those around her. Her eldest daughter found her 1950’s and 60’s collection of 45’s and listened to them over and over, learning every word of every song. This love of music has been passed down to her grandchildren as well. They all appreciate music from all kinds of genres.

Norma could be serious, but she could also be fun. There are lots of fun memories of asking her to “peel out” and she would do it! Singing the latest top tunes as loud as we could as we were riding down the road in the car. Going to Ocean City, Maryland and just cutting loose and having a good time. Soaking up the sun on the beaches of Puerto Rico. Spending weekend hours on her parent’s Chris-Craft 26-foot cabin cruiser on the Chesapeake Bay. Playing slot machines at the old downtown Ben Franklin and then having a soda at the bar of Woolworths. All of the many cakes she made for every birthday, every year for her grandkids. Her Utah grandkids wondering where the “decoder ring” was for her southern accent, when they were on the phone with her. Her coming out to Utah with grandson Zack and a Barbie replica of granddaughter Nicole, because Nicole was afraid to fly. That Barbie went everywhere and took pictures to show Nicole what she missed out on. 

Norma always thought it was cool that her name was Norma Jean, just like Marilyn Monroe. She was beautiful woman. I always thought she looked a lot like Liz Taylor and Larry was her James Dean.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers and her daughter Cheryl Marie Green Borden, her husband Lawrence E. Green, Jr. and daughter-in-law Kimberly Sanders Green. 

She is survived by three of her children: Deborah Green, Syracuse; Utah; William Green, Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Margy Green, Tucson, Arizona.

Nine grandchildren: Cameron (April) Greener, Salem, MO; Sheldon (Camille) Greener, Hooper, UT; Nicole (Adam) Bostic, S.C.; Grayson (Rachel) Greener, Ogden, UT; Zackary (Kristina) Green, Spartanburg, S.C.; Alyssa Greener (Doug) Gardner, West Haven, UT; Vic (Kelli) Baker, Warner Robins, GA.; Austin Owens, Draper, UT; Shane Owens, Pleasant Grove, UT; 17 great grand children and one great, great, grandson.