Dixie D. Norton

Dixie was born & raised in Muncie Indiana. She grew up in a little 2 bedroom house that was originally a garage. She shared a very small bedroom with her sister and 2 brothers. The boys shared the top bunk and the girls shared the bottom bunk. However there was always family coming and staying with them which meant the aunt and uncle would get the bedroom and all the kids would sleep on the living room floor. So for Dixie, family came first was deeply engrained in her.

Dixie’s dad Basil, and Uncle Ener worked at Warner Gear. Her family had rabbits and chickens. Uncle Ener had cows, pigs and 1 horse they all loved. Uncle Ener would squirt the milk straight into the mouths of any eager participant. She said that was the best tasting milk ever. Spring and Fall were the busiest times, planting their gardens and of course the harvest. They would take their goods to the cannery to can them. She especially loved those days.

A couple of stories we heard often were of her Dad and how he would go to Washington DC to straighten things out especially when it came to people’s rights, (he was one of our advocates for women’s rights). Her brother would get up on the roof top and pretending to be superman he would jump and land on her.

Dixie sang in the school and church choir and was on the drill team (they marched). Her first job was working in a Chinese restaurant at the age of 16. She bought herself a fur coat with some of her earnings. She married her 1st grade sweet heart. Their moms were good friends.
Dixie was a home maker up till the time both of her daughters were in high school. Dixie and my dad went into business with some friends. A Duncan Donuts shop and a restaurant called the Judge’s Chambers. The other owner bowed out and Dixie took over and ran the restaurant when she was in her late 30’s – early 40’s she named it the Golden Spoon.

Dixie enjoyed gardening, camping, picnics, fishing, sewing, knitting, crocheting, ( she made a lot of our clothes matching outfits, some prom dresses, sweaters etc. ) playing cards or board games, jigsaw puzzles and word searches.

When Dixie moved here from Florida she cleaned my dishes and did my laundry, she truly had a servants heart. She used to feed the ducks, and birds. We had 1 resident duck and he invited all his family and friends there must have been 30-40 ducks on our little pond at times. She loved watching the critters scurry around and fuss over the food.

Dixie always talked with the people who came across her path, planting seeds of God’s love. She had these small $50. bills she would give away or drop on the floor, they were a witnessing tool.
Dixie had a couple favorite sayings: “Take it as it comes” she said she thought it was in the Bible. She had a picture of her husband Sam in her Bible with this saying on the back of it with Psalms 5 referenced and a few others. She would also say “put your hand in the hand of the Man” these would be said whenever we were just talking about stuff. Her motto was to love God with her whole heart, and to love others.

Whenever we couldn’t find something we learned one of the places to look was Granny’s room. Things just had a way of migrating to my Mom’s room for various reasons.
There are 3 different scripture references listed at the front of her Bible Isaiah 53:4-12, Psalm5, and 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Dixie is survived by her 2 daughters Deborah Calvert of WA and Barbara Sullinger of Arizona, 1 sister Janet Shafer of Indiana, 5 grandchildren & 5 great grandchildren. She is predeceased by husband Samuel of Florida and 2 brothers Jesse and Larry Adams of Indiana.