Ione Lucille Norman

Ione Lucille Norman, 90, Vassar, died Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 at 3:15 p.m. at her son Larry Sabin's hospice home-away-from-home as he held her hand.
She was born Jan. 1, 1924 in Catawba, Wis., the seventh of 11 children of the late Thomas Joseph and Gertrude Mae (Hansen) Wanish. She proudly graduated from Phillips (Wis.) High School (1942) as a first for her family. She married U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Charles Fletcher Sabin on June 30, 1942, who preceded her in death on March 11, 1978. She then married James Wilfred Norman on Aug. 15, 1981, who died on July 15, 1994.
Ione belonged to Good News Ministries Lutheran Church in Whittemore, and raised her family with a strong emphasis on reading and education while working at Ternstedt GM (Flint) and – after obtaining at age 36 her LPN credentials from Mott School of Practical Nursing (1960) – at Hurley Hospital for 18 years, youth camps, nursing homes and health care agencies until she retired at age 79.
"Go-go grandma" finagled for the best for kids, recycled family treasures, eased deals, bought kids ice cream cones, arranged interesting day trips for the grands, ran a chainsaw, speared pike, cut up deer, boned off hamburger meat from carcasses so "men" could keep hunting more, pulled kids on tubes behind the pontoon boat, and worked a wood splitter handle – all with a generous heart and enthusiasm to boot.
After Charles' death, Ione retired from Hurley in 1979 to Hale, where she spent a decade in community and church service activities before moving to Vassar in 1991. Beginning at age 56, Ione swam for three years in the Perchville Polar Bear Swim while sponsored by the Tawas Bay Artists. She retired from polar bear swims with a Tawas News Herald title of "Polar Bear Queen."
Ione also became active in 1989 in the political arena and criminal justice reform movement. Vicious attacks on her family (including herself) combined with the tragic death of her grandson Nathaniel via state complicity resulted in nearly two decades of rectification efforts. She campaigned vigorously for accountability for state abuse of children by government agencies and helped State Senators Harmon Cropsey and Jack Welborn pass the 1994 Children's Ombudsman's Act.
Besides her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by one baby son, Charles James Sabin (1944); and 15-year-old grandson, Nathaniel Joseph Sabin (1993). Excepting Luella Moore, Ione's siblings – John Wanish, Glenn Wanish, Tom Wanish, Wally Wanish, Vern Wanish, Ruth Zwick Raap, Arlene Vinnedge, Myrtle Thieme, and Viola Leopold Lehman Schleif – are all deceased as is Ione's precious cat of over 10 years (Sophie).
Survivors include two sons, Jimmy Sabin and Larry Sabin (and wife Cindy); sister, Luella Moore of Catawba, Wis.; close sister-in-law, Marie Sabin Pychon of Burton; and dear friend, Teresa Osmon of Goodrich. Living grandchildren are Marty Alan (Sabin) Keast, Lydia Joy (Sabin) Hendricks, (Charles) Benjamin Wayne (Sabin) Hendricks, Amy Lynn (Sabin) Vargo and husband James, James C.T. Sabin and wife Tracy, Adam Reade Sabin and wife Jessica and Aaron Daniel Sabin and wife Sarah. Also surviving are seven great grandchildren, Amanda Michelle Vargo, Alexander James Vargo, Daniel Logan Vargo, Bailey Alexis Sabin, Abigail Dean Sabin, Adam James Sabin, and Andrew Joseph Sabin.
In lieu of a funeral, a special outdoor, ash internment time is to be held at Hale's Evergreen Cemetery in the spring to carry out Ione's wishes. Please contact the family for details and a more complete obituary.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the Hale Chapel of Buresh Funeral Home, bureshfuneralhomes@msn.com.