Norma Jean Hatfield

Norma Jean Hatfield, 91, of Federal Heights, CO, passed away on January 14, 2018, with her son by her side. She was born on January 21, 1926, in Goodland Kansas, to Jack and Sylvia (Curry) Phillips.

Her maternal grandfather who staked the homestead on his 21st birthday, lived in a dugout for five years while he proved the homestead. By the time Norma Jean was born the family had a big white frame farmhouse and red barn. She had an older sister and brother, Lois Fisher and Cecil Phillips of Denver. Norma Jean’s family lost the farm during the depression and moved to town where she went to school from 1st to 11th grades. Her senior year the family moved to Denver, Colorado. After high school she worked in a law office and continued to work for attorneys in downtown Denver for the next 18 years. She married and raised 3 children, John (Cindy) Leinberger, of Collbran, CO; Diana Pyron (Steve) of Lancaster, CA; and Jim (Shirley) Leinberger of Arvada, CO. She eventually moved to California and started working for the California State Civil Service. She worked for the State the next 17 years eventually retiring as the Manager of the Employment Section.

She married her one true love, Pearl Arthur Hatfield, in Lancaster, CA in 1970. They remained married until his death in 2005. Before his death they spent many retirement years traveling across the country in their RV visiting National Parks. After Pearl’s death, Norma Jean returned to Colorado. Norma Jean attended the Northglenn Methodist Church, as well has the church at Holiday Hills Village where she lived. Norma Jean was always active and busy. She was a talented artist, bestowing upon her family beautiful needle point works of art and intricately decorated blown egg art. These gifts will be treasured. She and Pearl did ballroom dancing for years and they also played the handbells with a group. She volunteered for 10 years at the Redding Memorial Center when they lived in Redding, CA. She spent many years doing genealogy and traced both sides of her family, discovering that she had eight ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. She became a member of the Front Range Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She left an extensive record behind for the family to rely upon. Norma Jean was the matriarch of the family and she will be missed. No doubt she is now enjoying being reunited with family and getting everything lined out just how she likes it.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother and sister, her husband, and her son, John.

She is survived by her daughter Diana (Steve) Pyron; son Jim (Shirley) Leinberger; her eight grandchildren, Marnie, Dianna, Luke, Joe, Jennifer, Glen, Cheryl and Becky; her 14 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; and Bambi her beloved cock-a-poo.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 20, at 10 a.m. at the Holiday Hills Village Clubhouse at 2000 West 92nd Avenue, Federal Heights. The service will be lead by her granddaughter, Rev. Marnie Leinberger.