Norma Mickelson Putnam

Beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend Norma LaRue Mickelson Putnam returned to her Heavenly Father and her Savior Jesus Christ the evening of Sunday, June 29, 2025 in Herriman, Utah at the age of 94.

Norma was born in Lago, Idaho on August 7, 1930 to Harris Anton and Norma Letham Mickelson. She was the fourth of eleven children. Norma learned the value of hard work growing up on the family dairy farm. Norma often worked on the farm and in the fields with her father and her older brother Daniel. This is where Norma gained her love of the outdoors and nature.

When Norma was 24 years old, she served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the East Central States Mission which covered Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. On her mission she put her work ethic and faith together and touched many lives. Several of these people became her life long friends.

After her mission, Norma moved to Salt Lake City where she worked for Zion’s Bank. She and a colleague put together a scrapbook for the American Institute of Banking for Women; this scrapbook was sent to the national competition to represent Zion’s Bank and Utah banking.

Norma then moved to St. Louis, Missouri to be close to her older sister Ardelle and Ardelle’s family. She continued working at a bank in St. Louis, but she also got to spend time with her nieces and nephews and she grew very close to them. She would often speak fondly of this time and how lucky she had been to have the opportunity to spend such quality time with Ardelle and her family.

Norma returned to Salt Lake City and continued working for Zion’s Bank. During this time, she was able to spend time with her sister Helen and Helen’s family. Again, she got to spend true quality time with her nieces and nephews and formed life long bonds of affection with them.

Norma’s friend from the bank set her up on a blind date with William (Bill) Edward Putnam of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The two hit it off and were married on June 28, 1969. A year later they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan, Utah temple. They were later blessed with a daughter, Jane, and in two and a half years were blessed with a second daughter, Jill.

Norma and Bill raised their girls in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Norma gardened and worked on the family orchard in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She was extremely active in The Church Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Albuquerque 7th Ward which was later changed to the Albuquerque Sandia Ward. She faithfully fulfilled callings in both Relief Society and Primary. In her later years she worked in the youth center at the Albuquerque Temple.

Norma loved to teach others about gardening and how to grow fruit and vegetables. She would sell the fruit and vegetables from her home and made many friends with neighbors and strangers who would come to buy produce. Her produce earned many blue ribbons at the New Mexico State Fair every year. She could pretty much grow anything anywhere.

Norma was an excellent example of serving others with Christ-like love. If someone was in need, she was there to help. She often would drive her daughters to the houses of elderly neighbors or ward members and have the girls mow lawns. Norma would go into the homes of these neighbors and visit with them, which was probably more important than the lawn mowing. She would also make picnic quilts from old jeans and give them away to anyone who wanted one. Many people still carry these quilts in their trunks for impromptu ground sitting activities.

Norma was also very creative. She made many pieces of art from driftwood, pinion bark, kernels of corn, pieces of obsidian, or other rocks. She would design and create quilts with Native American kachinas, woodland animals, and even a simplified map of Albuquerque for her girls to play on. She would frequent the salvage yard at Kirtland Air Force Base and turn the Air Force’s surplus garbage into functional furniture.

Norma was constantly on the go and even at the age of 86 could be found climbing up in her apricot tree to pick the fruit. In January of 2017, Norma fell and broke her back. The injury confined Norma to a wheelchair and forced her into an assisted living center. In December of 2017, Norma moved to the Beehive Homes of Herriman in Herriman, Utah where she resided until her passing. In March of 2025, Norma fell again and broke her neck; she was then confined to her bed. Seventeen weeks later, Norma finally succumbed to this final set back and fulfilled the measure of her creation.

Norma is preceded in death by her husband William E. Putnam and her siblings IdaBelle Wright, Ardelle Holderness, Daniel Mickelson, Aloma Gregersen, Riley Mickelson, Norris Mickelson, Lawrence Mickelson, and Neta Thomas. Norma is survived by her daughters Jane Putnam Smart (Kevin Smart) and Jill Putnam; her grandchildren Alexander Smart (Cortney Hearn Smart), Sarah Smart, and Emily Smart Szamosfalvi (Benjamin Szamosfalvi); her great-grandchildren Aiden, Wyatt, and Matthew Smart; and her sisters Nila Panter and Helen Christensen (Glayd Christensen); and many, many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family is grateful to our ward family, the Beehive Homes of Herriman, Canyons Hospice, and Amber Sandoval (massage therapist extraordinaire) for the loving and compassionate care they have rendered to Norma over her final and most difficult years of this life.

Funeral services will be held at 11AM on Saturday, July 5, 2025 at the Pioneer 3rd Ward, 12682 South Starlite Hill Lane in Herriman, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the funeral services beginning at 9:30AM. Interment and graveside services to follow in the Bountiful City Cemetery.

Funeral services will be streamed and recorded via Zoom for those wishing to attend virtually, or watch the services afterwards. To watch the previously held services, please click the "Watch Services" link above.