Norma Isabell Davies died peacefully on April 17 at Ashley Manor.

She was born on Feb. 22, 1928, at her grandmother, Jennie Fitchett’s home in Crane, to John (Henry Conley) Fitchett and Ramona Officer Fitchett. Most of her life was spent in Harney County.

At the age of 6 she attended her first Sunday school in the church at Crane that later burned down. Church was held once a month by Reverend Redding with lots of singing. Later in life, Davies joined the Catholic Church. She taught Sunday school at Durkee and Crane.

Davies went to school at Crane from first grade until she married, except for half a year as a freshman in Burns. She and her brother, Conley, spent lots of time as children with Carrie Thompson, who they called Grandma Thompson. They also spent spring vacation and Christmas vacation with Amelia and Gus Wilkies,  who they knew as “Auntie” and “Uncle Gus.”

At 14, Davies took her first job helping Mrs. Jess Vickers clean house. At 16, she got her second job staying with and doing chores for Nellie Hill on the Circle Bar Ranch. She had to saddle a horse, get in four cows, milk them by hand, separate the milk, feed the pigs and babysit the children.

At 17, Davies cooked dinner and supper for a hay crew in Happy Valley and when she was 18, she helped her mother-in-law, Catherine Mae Davies with cooking, housework and yard work. She also took in laundry.

She married Maurice Mathew Davies on Dec. 9, 1946, at the Presbyterian Parsonage in Burns. The couple lived on the Harold Saunders place in Virginia Valley near Princeton for six years. During this time they had two sons, Martin in 1947, and Lou in 1950. Davies lived in Durkee for six years, at Jackabsons’ Gulch near Ontario for two years, and then moved back to Harney County in 1961.

Davies and her family lived on the Steele place in Virginia Valley,  the Griffith place in Anderson Valley, her parents’ place between Crane and Princeton, and finally back to their original Harold Saunders place in 1970.

Davies also worked as cook at the Crane High School dorm for 11 years, and was the dorm matron for a few years. She was the Food Supervisor at Harney County Hospital for two years, and the Crane Elementary School cook for five years.

Davies and her husband had the U.S. Mail contracts to Denio and Frenchglen. She helped drive these mail routes. She also worked in the hay field, milked cows, raised chickens for sale and kept chickens to sell eggs, and helped move cattle.

Davies drove tens of thousands of miles as a volunteer for the seniors and disabled persons. She was also a care giver for numerous elderly family members and also took in foster children.

She liked to make quilts, knit, tat, crochet and crowhook. Davies’ biggest joy was to have the grandchildren come stay. Along with her husband, she loved to camp and fish with family.

Davies is survived by sons, Martin Davies and wife, Andrea and Lou Davies  and wife, Mary Jo; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two step-great- grandchildren; brother, Conley Fitchett; sister-in-law, Emma Davies; uncle, Bob Officer; aunt, Tina Pert; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceeded in death by her parents; husband, Maurice; grandson, Jason; and great-grandson, Joseph.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary was held at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Crane on April 27. Mass of Christian Burial was held on April 28 at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Burns.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Davies’ memory may be made to the Virginia Valley Scholarship at Crane Union High School.