Wilcox

Norma Elizabeth Wilcox passed away quietly Feb. 20 at her daughter’s home in Slippery Rock at age 91.

She was born in East Palestine, Ohio, on March 12, 1920, to Arthur Smith and Mame Pearl (Kelley) Leake.

Her parents moved to Wellsville, Ohio, where she graduated from high school in 1938. She married Leon Zahrndt in 1938 and had a son, Richard Max Zahrndt, and both preceded her in death.

She moved to Toledo, Ohio, in 1946 to attend Paramont Beauty School, where she obtained her beautician license. Moving back to Wellsville, she opened her first beauty shop, which she maintained until 1948.

She then married Orville Maxwell Wilcox and moved back to Toledo, opening her second beauty shop on Upton Avenue, which she operated until 1961. Moving into Temperance, Mich., she opened a third beauty shop, which she operated until 1975.

She worked part time for Sears Roebuck in the drapery department making custom drapes in addition to working for Flower Hospital in the admitting office. She left Flower Hospital as the head of admitting and helped moved the admitting office into the new hospital.

She had a passion for sewing, cooking and music. Making candy and pies at Christmas was an annual family event.

She sang in church choirs all her life, two of which were the Ashland Avenue Baptist Chancel Choir, where she participated in making several recordings, and the Resurrection Choir of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She was most active with the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, participating in numerous fundraisers and going on tour with them to Rome. She loved to sing and will be long remembered for her nursery songs that entertained all the new members of the family.

She is survived by her sister, Doris Geer of Shadyside, Ohio; and her three children, son Orville Lynn (Janice Knorr) Wilcox of Pemberville, daughter Bonnie Leigh (Randy) Raudebaugh of Slippery Rock and son Willard James Wilcox (Terry Johnson) of Toledo, Ohio. She has 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, Orville M Wilcox, she was preceded in death by her son, R. Max Zahrndt,; four sisters, Hilda Crawford, Margaret McDaniel, Martha Beyers and A. Jean Broderick; and three brothers, Howard, Edwin “Punch” and William Leake.

WILCOX — The family of Norma Elizabeth Wilcox, who passed away Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, will receive friends until a memorial service Saturday at the Bedford Funeral Chapel, 8330 Lewis Ave., Temperance, Mich. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Butler Memorial Hospital or to Good Samaritan Hospice of Wexford.Local arrangements are entrusted to

Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock.