In memory of Norene (Updated 12/12)

Our extended family is saddened by the passing of Norene, sister of Dolores and aunt to Julie, Doug and Cathy.

Noreen passed away Nov. 27 at Comanche County Medical Center. Norene lived in Comanche, Texas, with her husband, Alan, an Episcopal minister. A funeral service took place Dec. 2 at St. Matthew's Church in Comanche, led by Bishop Jack Leo Iker of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Read Norene's obituary here.

Alan and Norene at home, February 2015

Two of Norene and Alan's children - Susan and Lisa - live in Comanche, as do their grandsons, Kenan and Noah - although Kenan is in the U.S. Army and currently training at Fort Gordon, Ga. Their daughter Carol lives in Albuquerque and their son, Michael, in Dallas.

Dolores and Hugh, seen here with Alan, traveled to Texas along with Julie and Doug for the services.

Hugh writes: "St. Mathew’s is one of the churches that Alan served when he first came to Comanche. Norene and Alan lived in the nearby rectory before he semi-retired and they bought their house. In addition to the family, the church was filled with many of Norene and Alan’s friends from Comanche and a few from his parish in Eastland. Others from Eastland and old friends from Dallas showed up at the entombment.

"The bishop told us that while he conducts funeral services for priests, he rarely does so for the wives of priests. He said that Norene was special because he had known her a long time and appreciated her support to Alan and the Diocese.

"Following the service, the women of St. Matthew’s provided an extensive luncheon meal served in the adjoining parish hall. The entombment was a few hours later and many miles away at the Bishop Mason Mausoleum, on the grounds of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Flower Mound, Texas. The officiant for the committal was the current rector of St. Andrew’s in Farmers Branch -- the parish that Norene and Alan belonged to before he entered the priesthood. He told us he had been in seminary with Alan and was an old friend of both of them.

"Afterward we took some family photos. One is of Hugh and Dolores with Alan, and another is a group photo of the next generations of the family."

Younger-generation relatives of Norene. Front row: nephew Doug; son Michael; niece Julie; son-in-law Michael; grandson Noah. Back row: daughter Carol; girlfriend of grandson Kenan; daughter Lisa; daughter Susan and her husband, Michael.

Seeing friends, family & sights in Texas

Cathy, Christopher and Stephanie are back in (freezing) Ohio after visit to (balmy) Texas, where they visited friends and relatives, including Cathy's Uncle Alan and Aunt Norene.

Cathy writes: "We had a great time last weekend! We visited with Steph's friend, Kenzi, and her mom, who moved to Plano last summer. We toured some museums in Dallas on Friday and saw 'The Book of Mormon.'

Chris, Kenzi, Steph at arboretum

"On Saturday the weather was beautiful - nearly 80 degrees!!

"This was the perfect day to visit the Dallas Arboretum. There were plenty of people there having picnics and celebrating Valentine's Day.

"That evening we did a little shopping at the Galleria Mall.

Michael and Cathy

"On Sunday we caught up with my cousin Michael. He works at a restaurant in downtown Dallas. It is near the Continental Bridge and Trinity Skyline Trail, so we walked around there for a bit before heading to Comanche where my Aunt Norene, Uncle Alan and other cousins live. Along the way we stopped to have some delicious Texas BBQ for dinner.

"On Monday we took a day trip and drove to Waco with the intention of visiting the Dr. Pepper Museum. When we got there we discovered it was closed that day due to their limited winter hours. So instead, we toured the Texas Ranger Museum.

"That evening my cousins Susan and Lisa came over to Uncle Alan and Aunt Norene's house for dinner. Also attending was Lisa's husband, Jerry, and their kids, Kenan and Noah. The kids all got along tremendously since they're all around the same age and shared many laughs.

"Tuesday morning we headed back to Dallas to fly back to snowy Ohio, wishing we could have brought some of the warm temperatures back with us."

Here's an album with lots more photos of highlights of the trip.

Getting together in Texas

Alan and Norene with Dolores

Dolores and Hugh visited last week with Norene and Alan, Dolores' sister and brother-in-law, at their home in Comanche, Texas.

"On Tuesday night, Norene and Alan's daughters Lisa and Susan came to dinner with us," Hugh writes. "Susan's husband Michael was working out of town, but Lisa brought her husband Michael and their two sons, Kenan and Noah. Both boys have grown a lot since we saw them last year. Both have just finished the basketball season on their school teams."

Lisa teaches 4th grade at the consolidated school where the boys are in middle and high school.

Lisa, Kenan, Noah, Michael

Before their Texas visit, Hugh and Dolores were in Colorado Springs for the annual assembly of the National Academy of Needlearts. "Before we left, their Board announced that next year at the Exemplary needlework exhibit, they will award a special ribbon named after Dolores," Hugh reports. It will be awarded for "Best Use of the Principles of Color and Design."

Hugh and Dolores on a Western swing

Dolores and Hugh are in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Dolores is participating in the annual Assembly of the National Academy of Needlearts. The photo above is the mountain view from their hotel room at the Broadmoor, which is hosting the event.

On Friday Dolores completed teaching a two-day workshop called "Beyond Line and Shape." It's a course on the elements of design for needleworkers who create original designs.

On Monday, the couple will be traveling to Texas to visit with Dolores' sister, Norene, and her husband, Alan, at their home in Comanche.

Visiting in Texas

Dolores and Hugh have recently returned from a trip to Comanche, Texas, where they visited Dolores’s sister Norene and her husband Alan.

Read their account here and see a gallery of their photos here.