Sally L. Norem

Norem, Sally Lou Funeral Services for Sally Norem will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 19, 2013 in St. James Episcopal Church with Rev. Fred Tinsley and Rev. Dan O'Connor officiating, under the direction of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Joilet, IL at a later date. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2013 and again on Saturday from 1 p.m. until time of service at the church. A rosary service will be held in the Kramer chapel at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Sally Lou Norem, age 80, of Alexandria, passed away Wednesday, January 16, 2013, at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Sally is preceded in death by her parents, B. Winston and Olive Juanita Jarvis and her in-laws, Oscar L and Mabel Vera Norem. Sally had many talents and loved to share all of them with everyone. She graduated from Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, NY and became an outstanding music teacher, teaching in the states of Maryland, New York and Louisiana. Louisiana was where she finally called home, teaching thirty years of music in the West and East Baton Rouge Parishes' Schools. Sally was the choir director for the Baton Rouge Music Club Chorus. Sally wrote and composed musicals and plays at the schools where she taught. She serviced as the soprano soloist for Trinity Episcopal, St. James Episcopal and St. Luke Churches of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She also taught private piano lessons for over fifty-one years. She was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota and she was awarded the Sword of Honor. After moving to Alexandria her family became members of the St. James Episcopal Church. Sally kept busy with her church helping out wherever she was needed. Among her many talents she was an artist and she loved to paint. Her paintings have been displayed in numerous art shows and are currently on display at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Sally also loved to write poetry and on many occasions friends would call upon her to write poetry for services of their loved ones. She truly had a way with words and brought comfort through her poetry. Sally has touched many lives over the years and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her husband, Richard F. Norem, Sr.; her son, Dr. Richard F. Norem, II and wife, Merrilyn of Alexandria, LA, and her grandchildren, Richard F. Norem, III and Gabriela Romero. Pallbearers honored to serve are Richard F. Norem, III, Jeffery Bush, Walter S. Adams, Michael Young, Dr. Elwyn Lyles and Robert Hodgdon. Honorary pallbearers are Larry Campbell, Charles Patterson, Paul Patterson, Norman Macdonald, Cynthia Race Whitty and Michael Toler. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in honor of Sally Norem to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl., New York, NY 10001. Online notes of condolences may be sent to the family at kramerfunerals@aol.com.