Obituary: Norman Dean Partington, Sr. (2nd part)

Continued from previous column. After his first marriage ended, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served a two year tour of duty including time in Germany from Dec. 12, 1956 to Sept. 12, 1958. He received an honorable discharge as a corporal and returned to Logan to work with the railroad and to begin his college education at Utah State University studying accounting. He loved USU and either listened to, watched, or attended almost every football and basketball game he could. He was always up on the latest developments regarding the school and their sports program. Norm valued an education above all else and although he fell a couple of quarters short of his college degree he made sure all of his children received their college degrees. He always dreamed of going back to school to become an attorney and although he did not personally reach that goal, he shared in that dream and was very proud when his son graduated from law school in 1987. While attending USU he met and married Vannene Anderson in Malad, Idaho in 1961. Although they would later divorce, they had a deep bond and still loved each other immensely and remained close until the day he passed. He made a commitment to Vannene in 1961 and that bond and vow was still there in 2007. Due to the birth of their first child, Norm Jr., in August 1961 Norm had to leave college and started to climb the corporate ladder with the Union Pacific Railroad. His career with the Union Pacific started while he was in junior high and lasted until almost 1990. He was an incredible asset to their organization and was rewarded with numerous promotions that sent him to Idaho, Colorado, and back to Utah. His last promotion was to the position of trainmaster in Clearfield, Utah and head of the Northern Utah territory. He was the youngest "officer" the Union Pacific had ever promoted to such a position. He had a lifelong love of trains and the railroads and imparted that to his family as well. Although Norm's health started to fade during the later years of his life, he remained active and vital in the lives of his entire family. He is preceded in death by his mother, Lucille, his father, Norman, his older brother, Boyd and a niece, Stacy Partington. He is survived by his sister, Delmar Peterson (Richard), Claremont, California; his brother, Blaine (Nyla), Logan, Utah; his baby sister, Nancy Stack (Michael), Reno, Nevada; his daughter, Nyla Chivers (Jeff), Salt Lake City, Utah and her children; his ex-wife, Vannene, Fruit Heights, Utah; his son Norm (Elizabeth) and their two children, Gavin and Leigh, Seattle, Washington; his daughter Lisa Schumer and her daughter Kelsey, Kaysville, Utah; and his baby girl, Tiffany Partington, Fruit Heights, Utah. "Poppy", you will be missed so much by all of us and you will always be remembered as we loved you deeply and with all of our hearts and souls. You had an impact on the lives of numerous individuals and you certainly did leave your mark. Dad, what a long strange trip it has been but it was one that I would do over again in a heartbeat just to let you know how much I loved you. So long, farewell, until we meet again. Funeral Services will be held on Sat., June 2, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. in the Fruit Heights 6th Ward Chapel, 901 South Meadow Road, Fruit Heights. Friends may call on Fri. from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Ward Chapel, and on Sat. at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be in the Logan City Cemetery with Military Rites by the Logan American Legion Post #7. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com