August 17, 1930 - March 11, 2022
Norma Hisey, age 91, of Enid, formerly of Hunter, OK, passed away on March 11, 2022. Norma was born on August 17, 1930 in Driftwood, Oklahoma to Grant Ray and Elizabeth Mary (Milacek) Foltz.
The funeral service for Norma will be at 10:30 a.m. at Anderson-Burris Funeral Home in Enid, Oklahoma on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The Reverend Jim Edmison will be officiating. Burial will follow in the White Cemetery at Hunter. Visitation with the family will precede the service on Wednesday, starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 a.m.
Norma grew up on a farm south of Goltry, Oklahoma. Norma, her sister Dona, and her brother Denny were kept busy working on the farm and helping with the chores. Early on in her life, Norma had a passion for music, singing, and playing the piano. She took piano lessons in Goltry and played piano duets with her sister Dona for many different functions. She continued playing the piano and singing throughout the rest of her life.
As a child, Norma attended a country school and then attended Goltry High School graduating in 1948. After graduation, she attended Phillips University from 1948 - 1949. While at Phillips University, she was a member of the Tenth Muse and the Choristers.
Norma made visits to her relatives in Hunter during the summer. There in Hunter, she met the man she would marry, Gene Hisey, while he was playing a game of tennis with her uncle. Gene gave Norma a ride on his bike and “the rest is history”. On June 5, 1949, Norma and Gene were married at Davis Park Christian Church in Enid. Gene and Norma celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in June 2020.
Gene was a wheat farmer and they made their first home on a farm east of Hunter. In the early 50’s, they moved to a farm west of Hunter and lived there until they moved to a house in the town of Hunter in 1976. They lived in Hunter until moving to Enid in 2017.
Norma and Gene became members of the Hunter United Methodist Church soon after they were married. Norma and Gene attended this church for 68 years until they moved to Enid in 2017. Norma served her church faithfully by attending church, teaching Sunday School and Bible School, playing the piano for church activities, and participating in United Methodist Women. Norma also sang in the church choir along with Gene and they were also asked to sing together for many funerals and other church events.
Norma was a homemaker while her children were growing up and she was a devoted mother to them. She was an excellent seamstress and sewed Debbie and Darla’s clothes as well as her own. She accompanied her son Kent on the piano for his trumpet solos for Tri-State and other music competitions. And for her son John, she made cherry pies from cherries that were that were picked by him from the farm’s orchard. She made sure that they attended Sunday school, church, and other church activities. During this time period, she also taught piano lessons to children in the Hunter area and held a piano recital for them each year.
After her last child went to college, Norma began working as the school secretary at the Pond Creek-Hunter Middle School in Hunter. Her title was “secretary” but she also acted at times as a nurse, counselor, and as a seamstress for a ripped pocket for her granddaughter! She enjoyed her job and worked at the middle school for several years before she retired.
After they retired, Norma and Gene participated in the Volunteers in Missions (VIM) through the Methodist Church. They went on mission trips with other church members to Alaska, Guatemala, Mexico (4 trips), and Israel.
Norma and Gene loved to travel and took their children and grandchildren with them on many trips in the states and abroad. They owned a time share in Branson and enjoyed many wonderful trips with their family there and in other time share locations such as Santa Fe, Hawaii, and Sedona. For many years, Norma and Gene took their children and grandchildren snow skiing in New Mexico and Colorado.
Norma’s children and grandchildren were always a top priority for her and she spent many happy times with them. She attended their activities and supported them in many ways. She loved having her family together for holidays and other family occasions. Norma was a really good cook and her pumpkin roll became and still is a family favorite.
While her grandchildren were visiting her, she loved playing the piano and singing with them, playing games, and swinging with them on the front porch swing. Norma used her sewing skills to become a quilter and made a quilt for each one of her grandchildren. They lovingly called her “Nana”.
Norma was talented with using words and the English language. She enjoyed and completed many crossword puzzles and some of her children and grandchildren are now doing the same. She loved to play Scrabble with her family and typically used words that no one had heard of! And she won Scrabble most of the time that she played!
Norma had a green thumb and could make any indoor or outdoor plant grow. She always had plants in her home and gave them as starters to her family and friends. She also grew many plants and flowers in her yard while living on the farm and also at her home in Hunter.
One of the most outstanding qualities about Norma was her Christian faith. Her faith never wavered and it was exhibited in both good and bad circumstances. She would encourage her family members when they were going through a difficult time by telling them: “Give it to the Lord!”. Her Christian faith was a blessing and inspiration to her family, her extended family, church family, and friends.
Norma was a member of the County Club Homemakers, United Methodist Women, Rural Rotatory Club, Gideons International, and Garfield County Choral Group.
Norma is survived by three of her 4 children: Deborah Robinson of Pond Creek, John Hisey (Susan) of Hunter, and Darla Hisey of Stillwater; 8 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-granddaughters. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Hisey; son, Kent Hisey; her daughter-in-law, Janis Hisey; and her parents, Grant and Elizabeth Foltz.
Memorials may be made through Anderson-Burris to Gideons International and White Cemetery at Hunter.
Condolences can be made to the family online at Andersonburris.com. Honored to be recognized nationally, the past 6 years, for the Pursuit of Excellence award. Because family matters, let us take care of yours. We are proud to own the only crematory in Garfield county and ensure your loved one receives the care and respect they deserve while never leaving our care. Visit 3002 N. Van Buren, Enid, OK 73703. Call: (580) 233-2700.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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