Norma V. Earl

Norma Violet (Hammond-Gilmore) Earl passed away peacefully on July 17, 2024, at the age of 95 1/2. Born October 16th, 1928, Norma lived a full and vibrant life and inspired the lives of many along the way. As a child, she enjoyed roller-skating, ice-skating, picking strawberries, playing with her older brother, Murl, riding the postal route with her father in his horse & buggy, and playing the piano/organ for funeral services with her best friend, Patty (Dickey) Kivela. Patty would push the organ's pedals and Norma would play the keys.

She was Valedictorian of Vermontville High School Class of 1947. She married Patrick Joseph Gilmore on September 5th, 1949. Norma worked as a secretary for both Whites Dry Cleaning and later at Hastings Manufacturing. In 1954, she began working at the newly established Gilmore Jewelers. She was especially proud of her Diamond Club. She also ran a home-based business selling wedding dresses and wigs. They had 5 children: Marda, Sondra, Sharon, Mike, and Teresa. After 26 years, she was remarried to Lewis (Lew) Allen Earl on December 27th, 1975. They were together for 45 years until his passing in 2021. They lived in Dowling, where Lew dairy farmed and Norma raised Arabians, i.e. Lu-Nor Farms and Lu-Nor Arabians. They competed successfully in Arabian racing and showing and set track records at Mount Pleasant Racetrack. Their motto: "Beautiful enough to show and win; Athletic enough to race and win."

Norma was also very artistic. She made beautiful resin tables and wall hangings. She had her own N.V. (Envy) store out of her home. She was an avid reader, poet, pianist, seamstress, horticulturalist, communicator, and served on the board of the Arabian Horse Association of Michigan (AHAM), was an active member of the Hastings Red Hat Beauties, as well as a longtime member of Pleasantview Family Church.

In 2011, Lew and Norma moved to Hastings. A purple horse statue adorned their front door. Some of her treasured sayings were: "It is what it is", "Family is everything", and "If that's all you can do, then that's all you can do."

Norma was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Beaulah (Bea) Hammond, her brothers and sister-in-law, Murl and Mary Hammond and Gordon Hammond, her daughters, Sandra and Sharon Gilmore, and her nephew, Dr. David Hammond. She is survived by her children: Marda Gilmore (Rich Manning), Mike Gilmore (Pam Green), Teresa Pash (Barry McDiarmid), and grandchildren, respectfully: Kelsey (Ali), Nicole (Gary), Julie (Shanna), Brooke (Thomas), Paige (Alex), Sara (Joe), Kyle (Jessica), Anna (James), as well as great-grandchildren, respectfully: Mikayla, Amaya, Aubrey, Aksa, Kelilah, and Ilia. She also has a niece, Rosemary Hahn, and many other relatives that she dearly loved.

Funeral arrangements are being made through Girrbach Funeral Home and will be held at Pleasantview Family Church in Dowling, MI on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 with viewing at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Luncheon will follow. Charity gifts in Norma's name can be given to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

This Service will be Livestreamed at: www.facebook.com/girrbachfuneralhome.  You do not need a Facebook Account to view the service. If you click on a live link and you do not have an account, FB will ask you to log in or sign up. You may or may not see a "Not Now" option, if so, click that and scroll down to videos and that message to log in will disappear and you may now enjoy the live FB presentation.