Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Samuel Shepherd while he was in the U.S. Army Air Corps, circa 1948. 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. Rogersville, PA, 15359. They chatted briefly about Jamess health. Google shows our ads across third party sites across the internet to help communicate our message and reach the right people who have shown interest in our information in the past. "If the state wants to apologize for their treatment during and after their apprehension[,] fine," one family member wrote. Norma was born on March 25, 1936, the 5th of nine children of Walter and Mathilda Hauschild, in Dorchester, Illinois. As Alene Shepherd described to her daughters the meeting between James and Norma, neither Vivian nor Erma doubted their parents for even a second. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. The sheriff picked up the two men at the state prison to drive them back to Lake County for the retrial. It was the photograph she knew so well. 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. 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. She later claimed she had also been raped. based on information from your browser. Norma Padgett, 86, is the only one involved in the Groveland Four saga who is still alive. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. She so appreciated the prayers and support of her parish community through and at the end of her life. Beloved wife to the love of her. OBITUARY Lee James Padgett February 16, . From left, Vivian Shepherd, niece of Sam Shepherd; Gerald Threat, nephew of Walter Irvin; Carol Greenlee, daughter of Charles Greenlee. Service July 12, 1 PM at Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA. Better to be alive, the civil rights attorney reasoned, and they could wait until the case quieted down before attempting to secure Irvins release from prison. Try again later. The state never had his pants tested for the presence of semen though they had the ability to do so, he argued. She also admitted to the reporter that her father didnt have much confidence in her testifying in court; hed even bet a man that shed mess up on the witness stand. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. After finishing nursing school, she married the love of her life Robert in 1957. Many people in Normas life patients, parishioners, and family - said she was a saint of God. Norma started life as it ended - sincerely loved by all around her. Knowing that youre behind us means so much. Irvin was paroled in 1968 and died a year later of what were determined to be natural causes. Jurors were never told that a doctor who examined Padgett was unable to conclude that she was raped. Im grateful to God that somebody heard us.. The swamp acreage that Henry Shepherd had painstakingly drained and cultivated eventually came into the possession of one of Normas sons. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two siblings, William Boyd Padgett and Norma Lee Padgett. This browser does not support getting your location. Join the community that keeps criminal justice on the front page. What the guards didnt tell Vivian was that shed been trying to gain entry on the wrong floor; that the families of the Groveland Boys were one floor up, seated in the balcony, which was open to the public. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The Myth - Norma died while rushing into a burning orphanage to save the children. Historians and authors have theorized that Padgett and her husband, whom she divorced in 1958 and died some years later, came up with the story of the rape to explain away a volatile relationship. 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. Norma Lee Padgett Meakin. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Norma Faye Padgett, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. She attended Davis County schools and graduated from Davis High School in 1949. Find the obituary of Norma Lee (1935 - 2022) from Mount Holly, NC. . Norma and the man drove away. All have preceded her in joining God. They just wanted it to go away and move on.. The impact she had on others in this half-decade of service in her chosen profession is immeasurable. Irvin also said two of the families have one more fight looming. He married Mary (Freeland) Padgett on September 21, 1985 and she preceded him in death on June, 7, 2012. Were Christians, Erma added, noting that her father made sure the family never missed service at Clermonts New Jacobs Missionary Baptist Church. Irvin was eventually retried, convicted and again sentenced to death. The past he simply buried. All my life Ive felt as if a cloud hung over me, she said later. For some in the town, the book was a call to action. 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. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. 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 Vivian Shepherd has stayed in Lake County and lives in nearby Clermont. We are talking endless love, world-class hugs, sidesplitting funny songs and prayer with an amazing track record. He was paroled in 1962, moved to Nashville and died in 2012. My father accepted the apology, Vivian said. Finally, she asked us all to celebrate the miracle of life and thank God for our blessings. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Telephone: 724-499-5181. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Gerald Padgett of Hilliard, Florida, born in Brooker, Florida, who passed away on January 31, 2021, at the age of 71, leaving to mourn family and friends. Despite Henry and Ida Maes attempts to reason with their neighbors, the harassment and threats continued. Condolences may be sent to the family at: Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. there for. Despite the publicity, the Groveland Historical Society, a cramped building of clippings, mementos and sports trophies, has no mention of the Groveland Four in any of its displays. 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. What we do know for sure is that Normas last moments on Earth were spent praying for those of us she left behind. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Norma was the family matriarch, adored by all and feared when we foolishly stepped out of line. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Howard King, whose family settled in the area in the late 1800s and brought black workers from Baltimore, remembered the chaos as a bunch of rednecks who went crazy., They had the power, they had the support of the sheriff, he said. But theyve hit a snag, Student debt is a crisis: Activists rally outside Supreme Court for loan forgiveness, Tensions rise in Nigeria as opposition demands new vote. Nana found great joy in her 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Interment will conclude at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery in Mount Holly. Calling it an unimaginable privilege, Circuit Judge Heidi Davis cleared the names of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas, all now dead, to correct one of Floridas greatest miscarriages of justice from the Jim Crow era. Telephone: 724-499-5181. She picked up some yogurt in the cafeteria, quickly ate it, and then rushed back up to the fourth floor, where guards told her that the legislative session had already commenced. 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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. To this day, she has not spoken to any journalists, nor made any public statements. Padgett, now 89, declined her right to . 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. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. The two were married over 50 years. Vivian Shepherd didnt need to ask her mother what happened next. NORMA ROSE PADGETT July 1, 2022 Send Flowers Send Sympathy Card Norma Rose Padgett (nee Thornton) age 99 3/4, went home to her Heavenly Father on July 1, 2022. Norma was a member of the Gentryville United Methodist Church. 0 cemeteries found in Davenport, Polk County, Florida, USA. Philip Lee Padgett Obituary. I knew what had happened was wrong but I couldnt do anything about it without new evidence, he said. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Visual Materials from the NAACP Records, NEA Telephoto, via Statesville Daily Record. At a clemency hearing in 2019, when the men were posthumously pardoned by Florida Gov. You can try and keep dirt on top of it and keep it hidden from the public, but youll eventually start to smell it.. They spent their summers in South Fork at the Eagles Campground. Philip Lee Padgett Philip Lee Padgett, 66, of Orleans, passed away at 12:15 PM on September 30, 2020 at IU Health Hospital in Paoli. 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. Vivian Shepherd was living in Gainesville in 1998 when she received a Monday night telephone call from her mother. We deeply sympathize and respect the loss of your loved ones, relatives, friends and acquaintances. This page is a cache taken from the public sources. But Mike Hein, the Groveland city manager, said he doesnt see the town achieving that anytime soon. All copyright belongs to the respective owners. We received your message. Go to funeral home website to view original page. Norma was honored by the City of Ogden for her work with children. I am the victim, she told the clemency board. 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