Norma LaNae Southworth

We lovingly announce to our friends and extended family that our talented, kind, friendly, animal loving, obedient, and faithful mom, Norma LaNae Pettit Southworth, passed away peacefully in Idaho Falls, ID on June 13, 2024, a month shy of her 89th birthday.

LaNae was born at LDS hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 30, 1935, the first child of Adelbert Wilding and Norma Marjorie Severson Pettit.

As a small child LaNae remembers the comfort and happiness of living just around the corner from her Grandma and Grandpa Emery off West 3rd North in Salt Lake City, as well as being baptized in the basement of the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

While still a young girl, LaNae moved with her parents to Seattle, WA, where she had treasured memories of time spent with her grandpa Severson and her maternal aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Woodland Park area. She enjoyed attending church and all the activities associated with it, such as the Gold & Green Ball and other dances. In 1953 she graduated from Cleveland High School, where she proudly played the saxophone in the marching band.

After high school, while at a church meeting, she met her sweetheart, Vern. He saw her leading the music and would later tell her that it was love at first sight! LaNae left to attend BYU in the fall of 1954 and after just one semester, returned to Seattle. She worked as a sales girl at The Bon Marché while she and Vern courted. They married on May 11, 1956 in the Idaho Falls Temple, and started life together with Vern’s daughter Carol in a small home on Pilgrim Street in Seattle.

Vern and LaNae added 5 more daughters and 1 son to the family as they moved from place to place, owning grocery stores, fishing, camping, boating, and going on long drives. They lived in several different cities in Washington, California, and Nevada; and in their later years, Idaho and Utah.

LaNae was a nurturing mother and homemaker who cooked all the meals from scratch. She bottled peaches, nectarines, and cherries, and enjoyed growing a garden. She was always heavily involved in the operations of the grocery stores and even became proficient at cake decorating for the bakery.

LaNae was a doer! At different times throughout her life she owned horses, obtained a Real Estate license, took ceramics classes, and learned photography. She especially loved to photograph and visit quaint old churches. She was fiercely independent, on one occasion, taking her two youngest girls backpacking through the islands of Southeast Alaska when they were young children.

LaNae was loyal and forgiving. She nursed her sweetheart through his extensive battle with Parkinson’s disease, prolonging his life with as much comfort and compassion as she possibly could. Throughout her life she was able to put aside differences with others and love them regardless of those differences.

After the children were raised, LaNae worked as a bank teller in downtown Seattle (where she was once held up at gunpoint) and later managed Beehive Clothing Distribution for the Church, both in Washington and Idaho.

LaNae was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served in many callings, her favorite being working with the children in Primary, Cub Scouts, and anything to do with music. LaNae did her best to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and to teach her family the things she believed. On numerous occasions, her children would pass by her bedroom and see her kneeling in prayer.

LaNae will be lovingly remembered by her children, Carol (Tony) Torchie of Spokane, WA; Marjorie Southworth (William Arthur 1948-2022) of Reno, NV; Katie (Brett) Judy of Idaho Falls, ID; Vernon R. (Brenda) Southworth Jr. of Davenport, FL; LaNae (Adam) Dickson of Rigby, ID; Janna (Kevin) Adamson of Orem, UT; and JoLayne (David) Whitenight of Gig Harbor, WA: 32 grandchildren, 72 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Our hearts are comforted to know of the joyous reunion LaNae is having with her sweetheart, Vernon Richard Southworth, who passed away on Sept 17, 2006, after 50 years together.

Other family members participating in a sweet reunion are LaNae’s parents, Adelbert and Norma Severson Pettit; sister, Jacqueline Ione Pettit Fogelberg; brother-in-law, John Fogelberg; son-in-law William Arthur; great-grandson Jack, as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends.

We would like to thank the staff at Parkwood Meadows as well as Symbii Hospice for the wonderful care they gave our mom in her final weeks.