NORKO, Ozella Ann Shropshire

In Loving Memory of our Beautiful Sister Ozella Ann Shropshire Norko Ozella was born on August 21, 1932 to the union of Hubert Murl Shropshire and Mary Lou Harlan in Dawson Springs, Ky. She was a Coal Miner’s daughter and their only child for sixteen years graduating from Central City High School. On June 1, 1950 the family (now including two infant daughters) moved to the Dayton, Ohio area. When Ozella turned eighteen on August 21 of the same year, her parents allowed her to room at the YWCA, to be hired by Ohio Bell. She met a handsome airman from Wright Patt AFB at the skating rink in downtown Dayton. She and Stephen Richard “Tippy” Norko were married on December 13, 1952. In 1956, their young family of five moved to Tippy’s home state of Connecticut, Tippy finding work at Sikorsky Aircraft. They would have two more sons. He retired after thirty-five years there. They were married 62 ½ years when she expired, due to complications of ten years of valiantly fighting COPD. Her husband, daughter and son-in-law were with her. Tip survives her in Shelton, CT. Their eldest child Mary Lee (Sal) DiCaro resides in VT. Her four younger brothers Richard (Leslee), Steve, Tom and Joe all live in CT. Their nine grandchildren are Lisa, Lauren, Kelly, Jeffrey, Jamie, Annielaurie, Joshua, Brooke and Jillian, residing in VT, CT, and CA. There are seven great grandchildren with one expected. She was preceded in her passing by her grandparents Charles Simon Harlan and Frances Ozella O’Neal Harlan; Monroe Jackson Shropshire and Sarah Robinson Shropshire Capps; her parents Hubert Murl Shropshire and Mary Lou Harlan Shropshire; also Tip’s parents whom she called Father and Mother Norko, and all nine of Tip’s siblings. He is the remaining child of his family. Left to mourn her absence and cherish the many good times had with her are three younger sisters Rebecca (Robert) Foster, Janette (Dewaine) Turpin and Deborah (Steve) MacPherson, along with their children and grandchildren, all of whom Ozella loved deeply, also by canine friends, Powder and Zoe. As the news of her passing reaches further, many cousins, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and friends will join that list. The family would like to thank her long time physician, Dr. Ascari, dear neighbor Linda, and round-the-clock nurse Marva, for their constant and loving attention. Her one last wish is was to visit KY one more time. She was cremated per her wish, and after a time of gathering in CT, her cremains were entrusted to Jan and Dewaine to scatter in KY. On August 9th the family chose the space between her great-grandparents William T and Louvisia Harlan and her beloved aunt, Hazel Harlan Wyatt. There, her first cousins Mary Dell Brooks Richmond read a lovely poem she had composed; Mary’s sister Ovada Brooks Richmond lent much loving support; and her uncle Guy’s only son, Bill Harlan (who composed, recorded, and traveled with the Everly Brothers) sang “My Old Kentucky Home”, after Psalms 121 was read. For Ozella and her family, Ozella was home at last. Ozella Ann Shropshire Norko August 21, 1932-July 21, 2014