In 1949, they were accused of raping a white 17-year-old and variously subjected to mob attacks, beatings by officials and summary execution by the Lake County sheriff. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Norma Padgett of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, who passed away on July 1, 2022, leaving to mourn family and friends. It was not the first apology that Vivian Shepherd had missed. When asked for an explanation early this month, Scotts press secretary said they were reviewing our options, and then never got back to the Los Angeles Times before Scott left state office Tuesday. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Gladson had the pants analyzed at the FDLE lab in Orlando which reported, Using microscopy, no semen was identified . The incident began nearly 70 years ago on July 16, when Norma Padgett and her husband said that their car broke down and that they were accosted by four black men. Try again later. This page is a cache taken from the public sources. Post a message of compassion, your message will be available here for everyone to see. We received your message. All Rights Reserved.Funeral Home Website by Batesville | Funeral Planning and Grief Resources. Funeral arrangement under the care ofToon Funeral Homes. 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. Norma was nurtured by God's Word and Sacrament all the days of her life and is now with the Lord Jesus forever; John 14:1-3. James Shepherd eventually did work his way back from Orlando to Lake County, but he knew he could never again live in Groveland. At a clemency hearing in 2019, when the men were posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov. Norma spent her life helping others as a faithful servant of the Lord, nursing the sick. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Can we count on your support today? 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. Please reset your password. 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. Willie Padgett said he was beaten by the side of the road. Friends will be received on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Kesterson-Rush Funeral Home, LLC. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system, This story was published in partnership with. Many people in Normas life patients, parishioners, and family - said she was a saint of God. Many who grew up in this small central Florida town, originally built on the industries of citrus, lumber and turpentine, didnt know for decades. He was born August 23, 1954 in Bedford, IN, the son of Daniel Lewis and Norma Jean (Tolbert) Padgett. Norma and the man drove away. Norma stayed married to Willie Padgett through both of the Groveland trials. 3275 W. Roy Furman Hwy. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. This time, however, the nation was watching. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Norma Lee Padgett Meakin I found on Findagrave.com. 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. Padgett, now 89, declined her right to . Knowing that youre behind us means so much. Im grateful to God that somebody heard us.. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Oops, something didn't work. We are confident she would love seeing a smile on your face as you read her obituary. With tears that turned to sobs, the broken-hearted niece of Samuel Shepherd was enveloped by family hugs. They owned an RV and traveled the U.S. on many memorable vacations. She later went to Presbyterian School of Nursing, finishing in 1956. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. January 31, 2022 Norma Padgett and her husband Willie after questioning by the state's attorney in Tavares, Florida, in a newspaper clipping that appeared in the Statesville Daily Record, July 22, 1949. I do not want them pardoned no, I do not.. She had eight children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Norma Padgett Obituary. Heaven claimed one of its angels on earth with the passing of Norma Faye (Hauschild) Padgett on October 12, 2020, when she succumbed to congestive heart failure in Dallas, Texas. The two were married over 50 years. She loved to make people smile. James Shepherd never sought closure to the family ruin hed endured in Groveland a half century before, nor had he ever attempted to come to terms with his tragic past. Norma added that she didnt much care for that nigger lawyer defending the Groveland Boys. Telephone: 724-499-5181. Rogersville, PA, 15359. A memorial service will be held Friday, July 12, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Flanigan Funeral Home. Age 85, of Buford, passed away July 10, 2019. Alene gave them privacy, and the two former Groveland neighbors sat on the interior porch for about five minutes," she recounted to her daughter. 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. They chatted briefly about Jamess health. The couple did have children together, but their marriage was anything but bliss. They refused to leave. Try again later. Because of rain, a news conference with the families was held inside Lake Countys historic courthouse, where the original Groveland Four trial was held upstairs and jailers tried to beat confessions out of the defendants in the basement. Walter Irvin, handcuffed to his best friend, was shot three times, but he survived to tell the FBI a story of cold blooded murdera version of events that the FBI later corroborated in its investigation, contradicting McCalls claim that he was attacked during an inexplicable escape attempt. I am the victim, she told the clemency board. She was born in Mecklenburg County to the late Vance and Annie Underwood Hunter. Go to funeral home website to view original page. But a doctors examination of Padgett the morning after the alleged assault cast doubt on her rape accusations. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel), Hearing on Identity Theft Charges for Mother of Missing Oakville Girl Postponed, Washington Was First State to Legalize Right Turns at Red Light, But a New House Bill Could Reverse That, Walsh Bill Allowing Family Burials on Private Land Unanimously Passes State House, Supreme Living Backs Off Plans for Sex Offender Housing Near Tenino, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. They demanded that Sheriff McCall release the prisoners to them for what was certain to be a lynching. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Gilbert King is the author of "Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America", which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2013. There were rumors around town that Willie would drink and sometimes become violent toward his wife. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Franklin Lee, as well as her brother, Vance Hunter, Jr. Norma graduated from Mt. Sorry! Currently, his major coverage area is horse racing, where he can be found at big races at Santa Anita, the Triple Crown series and Breeders Cup. Telephone: 724-499-5181. She was born in Mecklenburg County to the late Vance and Annie Underwood Hunter. All information is taken from public resources. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. My father did not carry prejudice, Erma said. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. On a nearby television monitor, she could see Rep. Bobby DuBose addressing the families. Shepherd died at the scene of a gunshot wound to the head. All have preceded her in joining God. Norma had a capacity to love that defies description. She and Fred adored each other. And she could hear the applause as the representatives rose from their seats to face the dozen or so family members. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. 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. They knocked down his fences and allowed their cattle to graze on his land, destroying Shepherds crops just before harvest. I think someday there will be.. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. For some in the town, the book was a call to action. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. He was shot to death by Sheriff Willis McCall in Lake County, Fla., in 1951. Add to your scrapbook. 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. Im not a rapists daughter.. Id been waiting years for this day, Vivian said. All of that changed on a summer night in 1949, when one of those neighborsa 17-year-old white girltold Lake County deputies and Sheriff McCall that shed been raped by four black men. Norma's family would like to thank her long-time caregivers Maria de la Luz Vasquez and Julie Nordeen for their care and their gift of dignity in Norma's waning years. Online condolences may be made at www.woodlawnfuneral.org. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. But the worst of Henry Shepherds troubles were just beginning. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. There is a problem with your email/password. 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The couple separated after just six months; Norma moved back home with her parents who also lived down the road from the Shepherds. Search above to list available cemeteries. A system error has occurred. She is preceded in death by her parents Melville and Mary "Beatrice" Thornton, sisters Marion (Thornton) Ives and Beatrice "Betty" (Adford) McDaniel and brother Reverend Melville Thornton. Write your message of sympathy today. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Complications from his diabetes had resulted in a few amputated toes, hands that had become increasingly numb, and a weakening heart. She so appreciated the prayers and support of her parish community through and at the end of her life. What we do know for sure is that Normas last moments on Earth were spent praying for those of us she left behind. He had to ride to the hospital in a car provided by a black-owned funeral home because an ambulance refused to transport black people. McCall, who had bragged about having stayed in office so long despite being investigated dozens of times, was acquitted by an all-white jury. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. You cant change what happened, but you can clear our names. 2022, Obituary.Memorial. Others say God brought her upstairs to stop her from pestering him with her persistent prayers. Learn more about managing a memorial . She was born May 27, 1940, in Jasper, Indiana to Carl W. and Thelma Margaret (Ritter) Miles. Drag images here or select from your computer for Norma Lee Padgett Meakin memorial. Instead, the jury was left with the improper suggestion that Walter Irvins pants contained evidence of the rape for which he was ultimately convicted.. GREAT NEWS! Service July 12, 1 PM at Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA. Norma Padgett and her husband Willie after questioning by the states attorney, in a 1949 newspaper clipping. The men were posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov have this option volunteer for by or! Didnt much care for that nigger lawyer defending the Groveland Boys examination of Padgett the morning after alleged... Many people in Normas life patients, parishioners, and a weakening.... 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