Norma Joyce Hudson-Rattelade

Norma Joyce was the youngest of her large loving family in Laurinburg, NC. She was blessed with an idyllic, memorable childhood filled with love, music, singing and piano playing, shaking down the pecan trees, enjoying her mother's incredible gardens, canning and cooking and resonating in her father's beautiful bass voice. She reminisced the sights, activities and sounds of her family as treasured memories for her entire life. The Lord was the center of their lives surrounded by His Presence, as was their life-long involvement with their Baptist church. She graduated high school in 1952. As if written in a Harlequin romance novel, Norma as Miss Laurinburg married the strapping young Air Force officer she met the year before fishing off the Myrtle Beach pier. As a military wife and mom, she traveled extensively until she settled in Raleigh in 1969 with her two children. Mom was extremely diverse and creative. She was very passionate about so many things: her gardens, plants and flowers, painting, writing children's stories and poems. She was devoted to historical research and her genealogy. For decades, she organized family reunions in North and South Carolina. Norma Joyce was proudly an active member of The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She also was an avid reader, collected pottery and she relished finding a great deal junkin' along with loving all animals, especially puppies and kitties. Norma was a long-time member of Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC. She absolutely cherished her Joy Sunday School class and especially delighted in the church's music ministry. Her church family brought her more joy and happiness than human words can express. While mom had many joys in her life, she considered among her greatest blessings and was most proud of her daughter, Mitchell Denise Bowden, her son, Steven Eric Bowden and her grandson Brandon Steven Lee Gregory. She was ecstatic to be told a month before her passing that her grandson Brandon and his new wife, Emilee, were expecting her first great grandchild!! She talked about it often in her last days and no matter how sick she was, it always made her smile - you know...that memorable, shy Norma Joyce smile. Our heartfelt "thank you's" to Heartland Hospice in Raleigh, Hospice and Palliative Care in Charlotte and Carmel Place, her very brief but wonderful new home in Charlotte. We also want to thank Mom's precious around-the-clock caregivers, and her pastors, as well as All Nation's Church, Mitchell and Steve's awesome church family. We are truly blessed and eternally grateful for everyone who accommodated our mother's changing needs and care while encouraging and supporting us in every way. We take great comfort, peace and unabashed joy knowing Norma Joyce is in Heaven forever with her Lord and Savior surrounded by her parents (Lola Prevatte Hudson and Carlos Tracy Hudson), her brothers and sisters, Aunt Bessie & Uncle Jud, many of her large extended family and of course, Ruby, her tried & true best friend and furry companion of the last 13 years; tail-a-wagging, jumping for joy. We can only imagine the awed fullness of expression on Mom's face when she saw The Lord in all His Glory and Majesty welcoming her home last Saturday... Hallelujah! Funeral and graveside services: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 11:00 am, Old Hillside Cemetery, 325 Washington Avenue, Laurinburg, NC 28352. Online condolences may be registered at www.basscares.com.