True Love
I was born Rena Blossom Smalley 4th of 5 children , to Francis Duane Smalley & Jennie Eslick, both school teachers . When I was 8 years old my mother died giving birth to my sister, Hazel in 1890, leaving 5 small children for my father to care for. Unable able to care for the children Francis adopted the children out.
I was adopted by a wealthy rancher, Robert Hamilton Koontz and his wife Minerva. Growing up with the Koontz, me & the neighbor boy, Herbert Alder were sweet hearts but because of or age difference we were forbidden to see each other. Herbert went his way marrying and me also. I married William James Leat, a gambler, when I was 18 in 1906, having 3 sons with him Wallace, William & Wallace. We divorced, I then married Bert Isaac Norman in 1915, the boys taking the Norman name.
Bert too was not a kind man, he drank and abused me and the children.
Me & Bert had five children together Vera, Mary, Bert Jr, Harold and a son who died at birth , Bert passed away in 1946.
Herbert Alder my childhood sweet heart, wife Bessie died in 1960 and he went looking for me, we reunited and were married in 1967 . We lived in Valentine NE. for 8 happy years. Herbert became ill and myself unable to care for him as I too was not in good health, went to live with my daughter Vera in Omaha, NE. Herbert passing in 1975 then Rena in 1977.
ADLER, Rena B. Norman; 1 Jul 1977 OWH morn p 34 @ Forest Lawn
I was born Rena Blossom Smalley 4th of 5 children , to Francis Duane Smalley & Jennie Eslick, both school teachers . When I was 8 years old my mother died giving birth to my sister, Hazel in 1890, leaving 5 small children for my father to care for. Unable able to care for the children Francis adopted the children out.
I was adopted by a wealthy rancher, Robert Hamilton Koontz and his wife Minerva. Growing up with the Koontz, me & the neighbor boy, Herbert Alder were sweet hearts but because of or age difference we were forbidden to see each other. Herbert went his way marrying and me also. I married William James Leat, a gambler, when I was 18 in 1906, having 3 sons with him Wallace, William & Wallace. We divorced, I then married Bert Isaac Norman in 1915, the boys taking the Norman name.
Bert too was not a kind man, he drank and abused me and the children.
Me & Bert had five children together Vera, Mary, Bert Jr, Harold and a son who died at birth , Bert passed away in 1946.
Herbert Alder my childhood sweet heart, wife Bessie died in 1960 and he went looking for me, we reunited and were married in 1967 . We lived in Valentine NE. for 8 happy years. Herbert became ill and myself unable to care for him as I too was not in good health, went to live with my daughter Vera in Omaha, NE. Herbert passing in 1975 then Rena in 1977.
ADLER, Rena B. Norman; 1 Jul 1977 OWH morn p 34 @ Forest Lawn
True Love
I was born Rena Blossom Smalley 4th of 5 children , to Francis Duane Smalley & Jennie Eslick, both school teachers . When I was 8 years old my mother died giving birth to my sister, Hazel in 1890, leaving 5 small children for my father to care for. Unable able to care for the children Francis adopted the children out.
I was adopted by a wealthy rancher, Robert Hamilton Koontz and his wife Minerva. Growing up with the Koontz, me & the neighbor boy, Herbert Alder were sweet hearts but because of or age difference we were forbidden to see each other. Herbert went his way marrying and me also. I married William James Leat, a gambler, when I was 18 in 1906, having 3 sons with him Wallace, William & Wallace. We divorced, I then married Bert Isaac Norman in 1915, the boys taking the Norman name.
Bert too was not a kind man, he drank and abused me and the children.
Me & Bert had five children together Vera, Mary, Bert Jr, Harold and a son who died at birth , Bert passed away in 1946.
Herbert Alder my childhood sweet heart, wife Bessie died in 1960 and he went looking for me, we reunited and were married in 1967 . We lived in Valentine NE. for 8 happy years. Herbert became ill and myself unable to care for him as I too was not in good health, went to live with my daughter Vera in Omaha, NE. Herbert passing in 1975 then Rena in 1977.
ADLER, Rena B. Norman; 1 Jul 1977 OWH morn p 34 @ Forest Lawn
I was born Rena Blossom Smalley 4th of 5 children , to Francis Duane Smalley & Jennie Eslick, both school teachers . When I was 8 years old my mother died giving birth to my sister, Hazel in 1890, leaving 5 small children for my father to care for. Unable able to care for the children Francis adopted the children out.
I was adopted by a wealthy rancher, Robert Hamilton Koontz and his wife Minerva. Growing up with the Koontz, me & the neighbor boy, Herbert Alder were sweet hearts but because of or age difference we were forbidden to see each other. Herbert went his way marrying and me also. I married William James Leat, a gambler, when I was 18 in 1906, having 3 sons with him Wallace, William & Wallace. We divorced, I then married Bert Isaac Norman in 1915, the boys taking the Norman name.
Bert too was not a kind man, he drank and abused me and the children.
Me & Bert had five children together Vera, Mary, Bert Jr, Harold and a son who died at birth , Bert passed away in 1946.
Herbert Alder my childhood sweet heart, wife Bessie died in 1960 and he went looking for me, we reunited and were married in 1967 . We lived in Valentine NE. for 8 happy years. Herbert became ill and myself unable to care for him as I too was not in good health, went to live with my daughter Vera in Omaha, NE. Herbert passing in 1975 then Rena in 1977.
ADLER, Rena B. Norman; 1 Jul 1977 OWH morn p 34 @ Forest Lawn
Bio by: April Benedict
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