Norma L. Pritchett (Jensen) Vance Oral History Interview

Oral history interview with Norma L. Pritchett (Jensen) Vance by Herald A. Vance. Topics include: Biographical information such as date and place of birth, parents. sibling, and foster-parents; Growing up in Fairview and attending elementary and junior high school there; Her birth-parents divorce and being taken in by her aunt and uncle at the age of four-and-a-half years; Names and memories of school teachers; Learning to play the organ and piano; Composing music; Joining the Fairview Junior High band and playing the alto horn; Her adoptive parents not owning an automobile; Watching her mother's Relief Society service and wanting to do the same; Meals that her mother prepared and cooked; Having mincemeat and lemon meringue pies for birthdays and holidays; Her birth-parents other marriages and children; Seeing her birth-father's family in Fairview, but not her birth-mother's family in Mt. Pleasant; Receiving cards and gifts from her birth mother and admiring her handwriting; Visiting her mother in Mt. Pleasant after she was an adult and owned a vehicle; Having a wonderful relationship with all her different family members (Birth parents, adoptive parents; sister; half-sisters; half brothers; in-laws); Earning money as a young teenager by tending children, ironing, and picking beans; Buying herself a felt hat with the money she earned; Enjoying sledding in the winter; Summer employment in Orem picking berries and cherries; Visiting Salt Lake City for the first time at the age of fourteen; Visiting attraction in the Orem area such as Provo airport and Sclera Theater area for entertainment; Being bussed to Mt. Pleasant for high school; Being the Prom Mistress for her Junior Prom; Meeting her future husband and dating in high school; High school graduation; Marriage; Moving for her husband's employment; Birth of their first three children in Provo; The death of a daughter at age 22 months; Purchasing a house in Orem; The birth of their fourth and fifth children; Enjoying spending time with friends; Her great-grandfather, Dave Monson, being one of three survivors of the Circleville Massacre of 1866; Racial prejudice; Her birth-mother's efforts to have grandfather, Dave Monson, legally recognized as member of the Piute tribe; Norma's family history research and compilation of family history book; Her foster father's work as a dairy farmer; An aunt who proved flowers from her garden for Norma and Herald's wedding; Norma's employment at a turkey factory as a teenager; The loss of a beloved dog; Playing outdoor games with neighbors as a child; Enjoying horseback riding; Getting a job at Sears and being introduced to the drapery business; Visiting customers home to give price estimates; Sewing dresses for herself from fabric remnants; Her service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS); Purchase of the Milburn Church; Establishing an events center and catering business; Learning to cook for large groups; Singing performance with Herald at the event center; Managing the design and remodel/redecoration of the Fairview City Hall; Having to drive an extra 100 miles out of the way to get to Salt Lake because of the flood and landslide in Thistle; Their death of her son in an automobile accident; Love and appreciation for children, in-laws, and grandchildren; Finding her name in the newspaper as a new member of the board for the Fairview Museum; Creating history books for the Fairview Museum from a box of documents she was handed; Her interest in getting all the Museum objects cataloged; Being tasked with writing a history for the Relief society and Bishoprics of the Fairview Third Ward; Hanging framed portraits in the Museum; Her work on an Oral History grant project; Creating a sampler quilt as a traveling exhibit and plans for a future building and exhibits.

The oral history interview with Norma L. Pritchett (Jensen) Vance, conducted by Herald A. Vance, covers significant aspects of her life, including her early years, family dynamics, education, work, faith, and contributions to her community. Her life reflects resilience, creativity, and a deep sense of service to others. Norma was deeply committed to preserving the history of her community and family. Through her genealogy work, her service at the Fairview Museum, and her efforts to care for historical items, she contributed significantly to her local community's historical record.