Ron DeSantis, elected officials and community leaders participated in the unveiling ceremony, honoring the four men who were falsely accused of a rape in 1949. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system, This story was published in partnership with. "If the state wants to apologize for their treatment during and after their apprehension[,] fine," one family member wrote. Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Lori Lee Ferrell and her husband Randy of Cornelius, NC, Robert Jeff Lee and his wife Phyllis of Arlington, VA, Lesley Lee Padgett of Cornelius, NC, and Kirk Hunter Lee and his wife Candace of Flower Mound, TX; her grandchildren, Aaron and Chad Ferrell, Isabella and Alexis Lee, Lauren Padgett, and Hunter and Conner Lee; and her great grandchildren, Charlotte Lee and Peyton Ferrell. Failed to remove flower. Telephone: 724-499-5181. Norma dropped the Padgett name, the couple divorced in 1958, and she remarried to another Lake County man a few years later. Shepherd was tortured into making a confession and tried with Irvin. Driven from Groveland, the Shepherd family had lost their house and farm in what Florida legislators described as the states dark times of racism. 3275 W. Roy Furman Hwy. Google shows our ads across third party sites across the internet to help communicate our message and reach the right people who have shown interest in our information in the past. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at the above address. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The larger Lake County Historical Society in nearby Tavares features one small exhibit. All my life Ive felt as if a cloud hung over me, she said later. The Florida Legislature called for the exoneration of the Groveland Four in 2017, asking then-Gov. She was baptized as an infant in St. Johns Lutheran Church in Dorchester. That is why we have created a project that will help you find information about the deceased. Rumor has it that God was so impressed with Normas prayers, He promoted her to His A team. Share your thoughts and memories of Norma, Share your thoughts and memories with family and friends of Norma, Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home - Wamego. Norma wandered into Okahumpka, 15 miles north of Groveland, the next morning and told a man she had been abducted. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Norma Padgett of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, who passed away on July 1, 2022, leaving to mourn family and friends. This is a glory hallelujah day, said Shepherds cousin, Beverly Robinson, at a news conference afterward. Vivian Shepherd wasnt the only one who hadnt heard this sordid piece of local history. Honor a loved one by planting trees in their memory. The. The state never had his pants tested for the presence of semen though they had the ability to do so, he argued. Learn more about merges. Once he was finished, poor white farmers took advantage of the now desirable tracts of rich Florida soil and purchased the lots around Shepherd at bargain prices, leading to an unexpected breakdown in residential segregation in south Lake County. The couple separated after just six months; Norma moved back home with her parents who also lived down the road from the Shepherds. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Philip Lee Padgett of Orleans, Indiana, born in Bedford, Indiana, who passed away on September 30, 2020, at the age of 66, leaving to mourn family and friends. She was predeceased by : her significant other Robert Babin Padgett; her parents, Melville Thornton and Mary "Beatrice" Thornton; and her siblings, Marion Ives (Thornton), Beatrice "Betty" McDaniel (Adford) and Reverend Melville Thornton. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. And about the rape. Vivian Shepherd took a deep breath, filled out the form, and handed it to a man she never saw again. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Norma Padgett of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, who passed away on July 1, 2022, leaving to mourn family and friends. His dad said he was coming back to our house and if any white man strikes a match to burn his house down, he was going to kill him, said Griffin, who is now 74 and recently retired from the Groveland City Council. Alene could see a man waiting by his car on the street. Instead he purchased a small home just a few miles down the road from the old family farm in the adjacent city of Clermont, and he began to raise a family with his second wife, Alene. The state of Florida was wrong, and were sorry, DuBose told them. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. July 26, 1935 - Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. This time, however, the nation was watching. Norma and Bob were the proud owners of Willis Jewelers (now Zabler Jewelers) in Clarendon Hills where they built a thriving business by earning the trust of their customers with their integrity and standards of quality. To this day, she has not spoken to any journalists, nor made any public statements. 0 cemeteries found in Davenport, Polk County, Florida, USA. The incident began nearly 70 years ago on July 16, when Norma Padgett and her husband said that their car broke down and that they were accosted by four black men. Samuel had been dead nearly 50 years, and despite Jamess reputation as a man of character and faith, the Shepherd name remained tainted in Lake County; Willis McCalls rendition of the Groveland story became the version that endured. She called her mother: Why didnt you tell me?. You cant change what happened, but you can clear our names. In some ways, the town is still coming to terms with its past. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Visual Materials from the NAACP Records, NEA Telephoto, via Statesville Daily Record. McCall managed to hold the mob at bay, but they returned to Groveland and began burning black homes to the ground. Heaven claimed one of its angels on earth with the passing of Norma Faye (Hauschild) Padgett on October 12, 2020, when she succumbed to congestive heart failure in Dallas, Texas. Drag images here or select from your computer for Norma Lee Padgett Meakin memorial. Carol Greenlee, daughter of Charles Greenlee, wept and fell into the arms of family members outside the courtroom. Can we count on your support today? It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Gerald Padgett of Hilliard, Florida, born in Brooker, Florida, who passed away on January 31, 2021, at the age of 71, leaving to mourn family and friends. Norma rang the doorbell. Well never put our work behind a paywall, and well never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. Oops, we were unable to send the email. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. They had two daughters, Vivian and Erma, and lived peacefully there for many years. He would not lie. 3275 W. Roy Furman Hwy. Padgett, now 89, declined her right to . Her boundless energy and her endless love touched many souls during her brief 86 years with us on earth. She also admitted to the reporter that her father didnt have much confidence in her testifying in court; hed even bet a man that shed mess up on the witness stand. Currently, his major coverage area is horse racing, where he can be found at big races at Santa Anita, the Triple Crown series and Breeders Cup. Walter Irvin was given a few weeks to recover from his gunshot wounds so that he could once again stand trial for the rape of Norma Padgett. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Marshall, convinced that the jury would once again convict, and convinced that the judge would once again sentence his client to death, urged Irvin to accept the plea. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Norma . In 1998, Jamess health was failing. They had to run for their lives, spending days hiding in the orange groves and never returning home again and moving to Orlando. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. In 1972, he was serving his seventh term as sheriff when he was indicted for the murder of a mentally disabled black prisoner while in custody. The Woman - Norma Zampedri was bigger than life itself. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. He had to ride to the hospital in a car provided by a black-owned funeral home because an ambulance refused to transport black people. After a felony sexual assault charge in Orlando, he was in and out of jail on charges from fraud, to vehicle theft, to a sex offense with another minor in Miami. By 1998, Willie was dead, as was Normas second husband (whose surname she uses today), and the 66-year-old widow was still living in Groveland. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Bola Tinubu, the declared winner of Nigerias presidential election, appeals for unity, A 5,000-year-old restaurant highlights Iraqs archaeological renaissance, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. James Shepherd eventually did work his way back from Orlando to Lake County, but he knew he could never again live in Groveland. She worked at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis upon graduation where she met her husband, Reverend Stanley Delton Padgett, who was attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Try again later. 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