Obituary of Norrene Harker

Norrene Harker, 79, of Burlington, Colorado passed away on October 28, 2006 at the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She was born on January 22, 1927 to Wilbur and Mildred Summers in Holyoke, Colorado. Norrene's strong childhood memories were of the family gathering around the radio to hear Jack Armstrong, Lux Radio Theatre, Grand Central Station, and Fiber Magee and Molly. Christian radio programs and sermons opened her heart to Jesus and continued building her faith through out life. While living in Denver during her later years, Norrene had the opportunity to Read and Record for the blind. Working in a small cubicle and speaking into the radio microphone, she was aware of reaching many people and filling their time with news of the day, poems and other interesting articles. This proved to be one of her most satisfying ways to help others. One can see how important radio was to Norrene all her life. Norrene graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1944 and married John E. Harker on July 15, 1945. They made their home for 30 years on their farm north of Arapahoe, Colorado and moved to Burlington in 1977. To quote Norrene," Living with my husband, John, on a wheat farm and raising our daughters, Joan and Jean, was almost ideal except for the dry dust blowing years of the fifties. School activities, 4-H and livestock judging kept the family busy. When the weather pattern changed, we had good years and many good crops. After college at CSU our daughters married and gave us five grandchildren to enjoy: Jay Todd, Jeff Todd, Jody Todd Leeper, Aaron Andersen and Seth Andersen. Next came eight great grandchildren. You realize then that truly "your cup runneth over.'" Norrene was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband. She is survived by her daughters, Joan Todd and husband, Doug, of Rexford, Kansas and Jean Harker of Denver, Colorado; sister, Nadene Badgett, of Richland, Washington; brother, Wayne J. Summers and wife, Delores, of Colfax, California; sister-in-law, Vivian Harker Scull and husband, Lowell, of Englewood, Colorado; five grandchildren, eight great grandchildren; a special friend, Ed Fogel, of Denver, Colorado and numerous nieces, nephews and friends. Services for Norrene were held on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at the Burlington United Methodist Church at 2:00 P.M. Burial followed in the Fairview Cemetery at Burlington, Colorado. Memorial contributions may be made in Norrene’s name to the Caring Hands Hospice of Burlington through any of the Kit Carson State Bank locations.