Norma Southworth

Norma Joy Southworth, 87, of Idaho Falls, Idaho passed away at the family home on Monday January 20, 2014, of causes incident to age. She was born March 22, 1926 at Pocatello, Idaho to Lester and Ivora Rouse. She was the second of four children. Initially she lived in the farming area on Philbin Road and attended Tyhee area schools. Later her family moved into Pocatello, living on Hayes Avenue, and she graduated from Pocatello High School in 1944. She married Jack William Southworth at Blackfoot, Idaho on April 4, 1946, Together they began their journey building a life and raising five active sons and remained together for 64 years until Jack's death in 2010. Norma was employed about two years at the Refining Company prior to her marriage to Jack and subsequently worked part time for Golob Oil Company in Pocatello. In 1965 the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho where Jack had taken employment driving bus at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Laboratory. Although the move was difficult for them and their five sons, they settled in to a new life and got right to work moving forward. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was a gifted seamstress, homemaker, caretaker, and loved an assorted and growing number of crafts activities. She also loved traveling with her family. Frequently she would see things while traveling, taking a mental note to herself, and then after arriving home would then duplicate the item that had caught her interest. Her children's lives are filled with quilts, ceramics and knitted goods that she had made. She was a master at preparing meals for her large family on a moments notice and no one ever left her home hungry unless they never spoke up. She is survived by four sons, Corrie of Magna, Utah, Ross (Julie) of Blackfoot, Norman of Idaho Falls, and Ned (Colleen) of Idaho Falls, her brother Robert Rouse (LaRae) and sister Karen Pollard both of Pocatello. She had 16 grand-children and 17 great grand-children. She was preceeded in death by her parents, a brother, her husband and her oldest son Jerry. A viewing with family prayer will be held at the Colonial Funeral Home 2005 South Fourth Avenue, Pocatello, on Saturday January 25, 2014 at 1:00pm for one hour and internment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello.