[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 25]
[Senate]
[Page 33628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RETIREMENT OF ELESTINE SMITH NORMAN

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, it is my honor and distinct 
pleasure to recognize Elestine Smith Norman for 34 years of public 
service to South Carolina's Third Congressional District. Elestine's 
dedication to her community is without equal and I was fortunate to 
have her as a member of my staff when I served in the House of 
Representatives.
  Born on December 12, 1949, to the late Wilbert and Elese Morton Smith 
of Greenwood, SC, Elestine is the youngest of five children. She 
attended Brewer High School in Greenwood and became the first member of 
her family to graduate from college, receiving degrees from Piedmont 
Technical College and Limestone College.
  Elestine has been married to Willie Neal Norman for 37 years. Neal 
works for the South Carolina Department of Social Service and is the 
pastor of Weston Chapel AME Church in Greenwood where they have 
faithfully served for 18 years.
  She is a two-time survivor of breast cancer and will be the first to 
tell you that her faith in Jesus Christ provided her the strength to 
beat this deadly disease.
  Elestine's commitment to her community extends well beyond the office 
door. She was president of the Greenwood Business and Professional 
Women's Club, a board member of the local United Way, and sat on the 
Board of Visitors for both Piedmont Technical College and Lander 
University. In 2007, she was recognized with the Women's History Month 
Government Award from the AME Church for the State of South Carolina.
  Elestine began her career with the U.S. House of Representatives in 
1973. She has been a constituent service liaison for four consecutive 
Members from the Third Congressional District, Democrat and Republican 
Representatives Bryan Dorn, Butler Derrick, me, and the current office 
holder Gresham Barrett. Her love for people and her desire to serve has 
always put her above a party label.
  At the end of this year, Elestine Norman will retire after more than 
three decades of public service. I thank her for her passion and 
dedication to her job. She exemplifies the high level of service to 
humanity we should all strive to achieve.

                          ____________________