[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE OF NORMA ETHERIDGE THORN SARVER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK DeSAULNIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Norma 
Etheridge Thorn Sarver. I join her family and friends to celebrate her 
life and service to the community.
  Norma was born on October 21, 1921. She married Captain William A. 
Thorn (USN), who commanded the aircraft carrier USS Antietam, and they 
had two daughters. Captain Thorn was killed when his plane crashed into 
the Potomac River after taking off from the Naval Support Facility in 
Washington, DC.
  Civic engagement, social responsibility, and service to her community 
were extremely important to Norma. She volunteered at DePaul Medical 
Center for more than 25 years giving nearly 10,000 hours of her time. 
Norma was a longtime member of Larchmont United Methodist Church, and 
active in the Lakewood Garden Club, Women of Wesleyan, and the Kings' 
Daughters Royster Circle. She was part of a group of pioneering women 
who responded to the needs of their community, especially during times 
of such hardships as war and economic depression.
  In October of 1965, Norma married her second husband, Rear Admiral 
Ben W. Sarver (USN), a 1935 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Ben 
served in the Pacific Theater during World War II on several 
destroyers, and was the recovery officer for the early Gemini space 
flights. Norma quickly took on the role of mother to his three 
children.
  Norma's strength, conviction, and devotion could be felt by all who 
were lucky enough to know her. Through the loss of both husbands and as 
a survivor of ovarian cancer, she lived her life with grace and a 
fearless spirit. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, 
and confidant who lifted people up, brought out the best in them, and 
always provided words of encouragement. Norma, and her infectious 
smile, will be dearly missed by both her family and the community.

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