Norma K. Johnson

2016. She fell and broke her neck in January and died of complications from the fall.

Norma was born in Monongahela, PA, in 1923 to Fred O. Kogelman and Jean E. Rider

Kogelman. Norma graduated from Monongahela High School

in 1940. She married her high school sweetheart, Barclay

Coulter “Whitey” Swallow in 1942. They were together until his

death in 1970. She later married another high school

sweetheart, Robert Edward Johnson, in 1974 and was with

Robert until his death in 1992.

Norma and Barclay moved to Orlando in 1953 with their two

boys, Gary and Kim, where she lived until relocating to

Jacksonville in 2014 to be closer to her family. Norma was a

full-time housewife most of her life but when the need arose,

she went to work with Traveler's Insurance in Orlando as

records clerk and learned to drive again after a period of 40

years. She was a faithful wife and mother, caring for two

husbands, each of whom died in ill health.

For a woman who used to say she wasn't savvy in the more

technical things in life, she certainly fooled her family,

mastering the old memory typewriter with floppy disks, open reel tape decks, mastering her

own audio tapes, and more. Her love of music was contagious as she amassed thousands of

records and audio tapes. Not only did she listen to music, she also played by ear, composed her

own music, and sang and recorded for personal use. She always had a piano, keyboard, or organ

in the house.

She did not know what a half-empty glass was, for hers was always more than half-full. Just to

sit outside and see the sun set or a quick trip to the beach to see the ocean, her son's grilled

steaks and ribs, with a glass of wine or her favorite Pennsylvania Yuengling beer, the simple life

was truly her favorite. The perfect birthday gift was a handful of scratch-off lottery tickets

which her grandson often gave her; the perfect family visit, a trip to the local seafood restaurant

for fried oysters, or when the granddaughters visited, just driving around town at night looking

at the lights.

She was also a life long subscriber of the local Monongahela, PA, newspaper until its closing in

2015. Her church membership continued with her church where baptized in 1928, First United

Methodist of Monongahela.

She is survived by her sons: Gary L. Swallow, (Eleanor), Jacksonville, FL, and Kim D. Swallow,

(Pam), Douglasville, GA; grandchildren Brian Swallow (Shaara), Emily Swallow, and Kelly

Swallow; and great grandchildren Jones Gary Swallow, and Sawyer Christopher Swallow.

Interment will be in Monongahela Cemetery. Funeral services will be held grave side at 11:00

a.m., April 26. Rev. Alan J. Morrison, First United Methodist Church will officiate. Frye

Funeral Home Monongahela, PA, is handling the funeral arrangements with interment in the

family burial plot beside her mother, Jean Rider Punchur and grandparents Jessie and Rachel

Rider. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers to First United Methodist Church, 430 West Main

Street, Monongahela, PA 15063.