My Mother

 My mother, Violet Ruth Hofstetter,  was born in Salem, Oregon on December 28th, 1921.

As the oldest child she became my Grandfather's farm hand, milking cows and caring for the work horses and spending time in the barn, and as a result, she always preferred working outside.

She became a beautiful young woman.

In 1941 she married my father, Henry Norquist.

They had a passel of kids.

It took a lot of work and a long time, but eventually we all left our nest on our small farm in the Willamette Valley. 

While they were empty nesters, there were now lots of grandchildren, of which my two were only a small portion.

My mother did not have an easy life, but she never stopped giving. She was just about two months from her 90th birthday when she passed in 2011. She had finally moved to assisted living and this photo was taken in her last summer. 

She was ready to go and passed peacefully, probably glad that she did not have to endure another dark winter. She loved the light of the sun and being surrounded by growing things - plants and people. 

We remember her well on this Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day!