[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[House]
[Page 31797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ELESTINE NORMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Mrs. Elestine Smith Norman. Born December 12 of 1949 to the 
late Wilbert and Elese Morton Smith in the Promise Land Area of 
Greenwood, South Carolina, she is the youngest of 5 children.
  She attended the public schools in Greenwood and is a graduate of 
Piedmont Tech and Limestone College. She was the first in her family to 
graduate from college.
  She has been married to Pastor Willie Neal Norman for 37 years. 
Willie is the pastor of Weston Chapel AME Church in Greenwood where 
Elestine and he have served faithfully for over 18 years. She and Neal 
have never had any children of their own, but there are lots of folks 
that would call Elestine their spiritual mother.
  She has survived a diagnosis of breast cancer twice in her life and 
has ministered to many, many others with cancer throughout the years. 
Her positive attitude through these trials has always inspired others 
to fight a strong fight. She has trusted faithfully in her Lord Jesus 
Christ to bring her through the many hardships.
  Mr. Speaker, she is a former president of the Greenwood Business and 
Professional Women's Club. She has served on the Greenwood United Way 
Board, the Lander University Board of Visitors, and the Piedmont 
Technical College Board of Visitors. She is also the recipient of the 
2007 Women's History Month Government Award from the AME Church for the 
State of South Carolina.
  In 1972 she went to work for then-Congressman of the Third 
Congressional District of South Carolina, Bryan Dorn. She has continued 
to work as a senior caseworker in the Greenwood district offices for 
the following Members: Congressman Butler Derrick and Congressman, now 
Senator, Lindsey Graham. She has worked for both Democrat and 
Republican Congressmen, always putting the love of serving people above 
politics.
  When I was elected to succeed Senator Graham as the Representative 
from the Third Congressional District, I was honored that Elestine 
agreed to continue her dedicated service in my Greenwood office. Now 
after 34 years of public service, she has decided to retire. And all 
these years of compassionate service, she has never lost her heart for 
people. And I know she will always continue to serve throughout the 
community for as long as the good Lord keeps her on this Earth.
  Mr. Speaker, I had these prepared remarks that I wanted to say so I 
didn't forget anything. But I want to share one short story about Mrs. 
Elestine Norman. When I was elected in 2002, I knew Elestine had worked 
for three other Congressmen, and I thought to myself, well, there is no 
way that she could have the compassion and the fire and the desire to 
help people. And this lady has proved me wrong time and time again. Her 
love, her can-do attitude, her sweet spirit, she has been a rock for 
me, for my staff, and for all the people of the Third Congressional 
District.
  Mrs. Elestine, I hope you're watching tonight. We love you. I love 
you. We will miss you greatly. Godspeed.

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