Norma Lee (Lorimor) Dwyer passed away on Nov. 4, 2018, at the age of 87 at Mill Vista Care Facility following a brief illness. Norma was born on April 26, 1931, on her family ranch three miles from Collbran, Colo. She was the seventh of eight children born to Claude and Mabel Lorimor.
Norma attended school in Collbran and graduated from high school in 1948. She married Thomas S. Dwyer on July 31, 1948, in Grand Junction, Colo. They lived in Rangely, Colo., where their daughters Nancy Lynn and Judy Lee were born.
The family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, for five years, and then relocated to Evanston, Wyo., where their daughter Lori Dee was born. In the winter of 1966–67, they moved to LaBarge.
Norma and Tom spent 17 enjoyable years in LaBarge, before returning to Grand Junction in 1983 to be closer to their families. After Norma retired from the Clifton, Colo., school district, she and Tom spent several winters in the warmth of San Felipe, Baja, Mexico. Norma lost her best friend and husband of 60 years in 2009 after a long illness. In 2015, Norma relocated to Highlands Ranch, Colo., to be closer to her daughters, Judy and Lori.
Norma worked as a babysitter and a clerk before pursuing her passion of working with special needs children, first at LaBarge Elementary then later in the Big Piney schools as well. After the move to Grand Junction, Norma continued her work with children both as an aide in special needs classes then later as librarian at Clifton Elementary in Clifton, Colo. In addition to working in education, Norma worked alongside Tom in their successful oil tank ‘strapping’ business after Tom’s retirement.
Norma served as a Girl Scout leader in Evanston with her older daughters and continued supporting Girl Scouting with her youngest daughter after the move to LaBarge. She had many roles including cookie director, service unit chairman, state council member, and state camp director. Norma was awarded the Thanks Badge, the highest volunteer honor. She continued in Girl Scouting long after her girls graduated by volunteering at local and national camps and later as a resource for Girl Scouts in Grand Junction and Highlands Ranch.
In addition to Girl Scouts, Norma was a charter member of the Lincoln County Historical Society. She and Tom enjoyed learning about Wyoming history and spent much of their free time trekking, rock hunting and enjoying the Wyoming outdoors.
In later years, she channeled this love of history into researching family genealogy and history in western Colorado. She joined the Museum of Western Colorado and spent many hours volunteering at her beloved Cross Orchards Living History Farm. She became a member of the Territorial Daughters of Colorado where she served as Historian.
Norma was a prolific crafter and crocheter, providing countless hats, scarfs, mittens, kitchen towels, crocheted critters, sock monkeys, Broncos paraphernalia, and other creative projects to her family, friends, and charitable organizations.
Norma was preceded in death by her husband Tom, her parents, her sisters Avon, Betty, Ida, and Dorothy, her brother Raymond, her grandson, Tommy, and her great-grandson Seth. She is survived by her sister Ruth Barnes (Green Valley, Ariz.), her brother Wayne Lorimor (Grand Junction, Colo.), her daughters Nancy Dwyer (Danville, Virginia), Judy Dwyer (Bill Smith, Arvada, Colo.), and Lori Nield (Doug, Highlands Ranch, Colo.), six grandchildren, (Carol, Shawn, Erik, Jake, Jesse, and Lindsey), five great-grandchildren (Alexei, Zachary, Justin, Caleb, and Riley), great-great-granddaughter Dalilah, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
No services are scheduled. Memorial donations can be made in Norma’s honor to the Museum of Western Colorado (museumofwesternco.com); Museum of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 20000, Grand Junction, Colorado 81502-5020).
