[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 126 (Monday, August 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E761-E762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF NORMA WILSON GREGORY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JAMES R. WALKINSHAW

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 3, 2026

  Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and 
celebrate the 100th birthday of my constituent, Mrs. Norma Wilson 
Gregory.
  Norma was born on August 2, 1926, and grew up in Kansas City, 
Missouri. She was the middle child of five, with older brother Walter, 
older sister Jeanne, and two younger brothers, Herb and Gordon. As a 
child, she was something of a tomboy to keep up with her older brother 
Walter who was only ten months older. She also was an avid reader, 
often taking a book and the family dog on a walk to climb and sit in a 
tree, reading for hours, with the dog sitting guard at the base of the 
tree.
  The name Norma means ``hard working and vivacious'' in Latin, and 
those who know and love her say that is an incredibly apt description. 
Anything she puts her mind to, she can master. From hanging wallpaper, 
painting, and making braided rugs, to gardening, arranging flowers, and 
baking and cooking, she was a woman of many talents.
  Her talents allowed her to thrive professionally, having a successful 
30-year career as a realtor. She loved selling houses and had the 
wonderful ability to visualize how a couple could fix up a house and 
make it their own.
  Away from work, she became an avid bird watcher, traversing the globe 
to see birds in Northern Africa and Belize. She still to this day 
watches the birds at her feeder, including four male goldfinches who 
often come to the feeder at the same time and put on quite a show. 
While bird watching started to spend time with her beloved husband, Jim 
Gregory, she continues to experience the joy it can bring to its 
enthusiasts.
  Jim Holmwood Gregory was not just the one who introduced her to bird 
watching, he was her greatest love and husband of 54 years. Norma met 
James when she was living in Kansas City with her aunt, Muriel. One day 
she ended up having all of her wisdom teeth pulled, and Aunt Muriel 
decided a night on the town would take her mind off of her teeth. Sure 
enough, James and his colleagues were

[[Page E762]]

in town on business and happened to be at the same local nightclub as 
Norma, and it was love at first sight. Eight months later, after a lot 
of visits and correspondence between the two, they were married in East 
Aurora, New York on May 24, 1947. They had a wonderful marriage and 
four children: Kim, John, Jamie, and Mark.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating Norma 
Wilson Gregory on her 100th Birthday. Cheers to countless memories and 
adventures, and cheers to many more.

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