Reathel K. Norberg

Reathel K. Norberg

Reathel K. Norberg entered the portals of heaven early in the evening on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the age of 102. Reathel was taken from her home at Parkside Retirement Community to Auburn Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, September 20th after suffering a heart attack. She remained in the hospital until the time of her death. Reathel was born in Kent, WA on August 1, 1909 to Jenny and Cornelius Timothy (C.T.) Sheehan. Her childhood and adult life were lived in Kent. As the second child in the family of 5 children, she attended Kent schools and graduated Kent High School in the class of 1927. She donated her high school annual to the Kent Historical Society. In 1934 Reathel was married to Bert E. Norberg, a Swedish immigrant who came to America with his family when he was 3 years of age. Together they lived the good life for 74 years. They first had a daughter, Patricia and then a son, William (Bill). Reathel became employed at the Boeing Airplane Company in 1951 and retired in 1973 after 22 years of loyal service. Her work in the Release Unit earned her many merit awards in those 22 years. Her life revolved around her family and friends. Her passion was ballroom dancing expressed through the Dancing Clubs to which she and Bert were members. Over the years, they traveled to many parts of the world and spent much of their retired life wintering in Mesa, AZ. In Arizona Reathel took up golfing at the age of nearly 70. Reathel is survived by her son, Bill Norberg and wife, Judy of Auburn, WA; four grandchildren, Cathy Vierthaler and husband Paul, Rusty Russell and wife Ronda, Juli Willert and husband Stephen and Jean Norberg-Jones and husband Scott; as well as 8 great-grandchildren, Nicholas Vierthaler, Daniel Vierthaler, Kaileigh Coulter, Justin Coulter, Nathan Baxter, Paige Russell, Taylor Russell and Trevor Willert. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bert E. Norberg, her daughter, Patricia Russell and all of her siblings, Bill Sheehan, Vivian Spiker, Bus Sheehan, and Claud Sheehan. Our family loss is compounded by the fact that Reathel’s death marks the end of a generation. A celebration of Reathel’s life will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Rio Verde Mobile Home Estates, 1402 – 22nd St. NE, Auburn, WA at 2:00PM. After cremation, her ashes will be interned with Bert’s at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Kent, WA. Reathel’s loss leaves holes in the hearts of her family members and her many friends.

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