[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 7, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF NORMA ANDERSON LOFTEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 7, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Norma Anderson 
Loften, who passed away on November 1, 2007, in her hometown, Beaumont, 
Texas, at the age of 76.
  Ms. Loften was a dear friend who personified all the values that we 
cherish as Americans: a deep and abiding religious faith, devotion to 
her family, compassion for those in need, and a commitment to education 
and hard work.
  I first met Norma and her late twin sister Erma when I was a teenager 
growing up on Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York City. They had moved 
there from Texas to attend the St. Aloysius Catholic boarding school 
for girls. The religious nuns who ran the ``school considered me a 
ne'er do well, but the twin sisters accepted me and I became a 
``lifelong friend of theirs and their family.
  Norma studied hard and went on to a long career as a dental hygienist 
in New York, retiring from Mt. Sinai Hospital in 1995. Her avocation 
was music, which she studied for many years, to became a talented 
pianist. With her husband Maurice Loften, she had three accomplished 
sons, the late Dwight, who had been an accountant in Washington, DC; 
Rodney, a school superintendent in New Jersey; and Kevin, chairman of 
the American Hospital Association.
  She is also survived by her beloved mother, Cora Anderson, wife of 
the late Rodney Anderson, who remains in Beaumont, Texas at the 
wonderful age of 98.
  Her loving brother, Charles Anderson, retired from the U.S. Air 
Force, also resides in Beaumont. His children, the late Vanessa; 
Francesca; Charles, Jr.; Gina; and Robert were all devoted to their 
loving aunt, Norma.
  God has given the Anderson family an extraordinary faith and 
unchallenged belief in his wisdom. Therefore I pray that at this 
painful time when their beloved Norma has been called home, they will 
take comfort in the belief that this is God's will. I hope that in the 
midst of their sadness and helplessness, they will be encouraged by the 
beautiful memories of her great love and caring spirit.
  Madam Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
wonderful American family and biding farewell to Norma Anderson Loften.

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