Nora Louisa GARDNER

Notes:

Her obit in the Arizona Republic on 23 Feb 1991 said that she was survived by two daughters: Bonnie Clavijo and Sally Brown.

Birth:
per SSDI and SD Births

Nora married Elry Ray LAMPORT about 1917. Elry was born on 23 Mar 1888 in Hecla, Brown County, South Dakota; died in Nov 1976 in Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona; was buried in City of Mesa Cemetery, Maricopa County, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Or Vanlew, the name in SSDI.

A Varlen C Lamport, b. unknown and d. 1988, is listed in Find A Grave as buried in the Hecla City Cemetery in Hecla, Brown County, South Dakota.

Not mentioned in the obit of his wife, Norma, who died in Washington, and was buried in Seattle, as Norma Frances Lamport, in 2012.

Died:
Last residence. Not in the California death index

Notes:

She lived with the Eivind Bye family for several years and graduated from Fergus Falls high school. She met and married her husband while they were in the military.

She lives in Metairie, Louisiana. She accompanied her cousin Diane to the 2008 Trønderlag Centennial in Fergus Falls. Minnesota.

An article from September, 2005, regarding survivors of Katrina:

Bonnie Clavijo, a 1940 graduate from Fergus Falls High School is one of them. At 83 years old, Clavijo has ridden out every storm and hurricane that has blown through Metairie, La. for the past 59 years, according to her cousin, Diane Machande, another Fergus Falls graduate. But Hurricane Katrina refused to be reckoned with, and Machande said her cousin was forced to evacuate her condo for the first time when flooding started engulfing the city the day after the hurricane hit. Not too far from New Orleans, Metairie was one of the cities that suffered great damage from the hurricane. Machande said Clavijo, a widow, was helped by a friend's daughter. The three were some of the last in the city to drive out by car, Machande said. They were able to reach an airport where they took a flight to safer ground in Virginia. "I was just so glad she was able to tell me she is safe and sound," Machande said. "When people get to that age it makes it difficult. The tension is greater for an old person in this situation." Machande said Clavijo did not know the state of her home, but Machande said her condo is on the third floor so hopefully some of her belongings will be spared.

From a Baton Rouge newspaper article of December 7, 2012:

Four Women Veterans of Louisiana members spoke about their experiences in the military during World War II on Oct. 13 at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Geneva Johnson, Army; Bonnie Clavijo, Coast Guard; Lillie Clark, Army; and Vera Nuschler, Marines, participated in the event to educate the public about what women do in the military. Also attending the event were Vietnam-era members Ramona Hudson, Navy; Shirley Avants, Army; and Anna Sanders, Air Force.

Women Veterans of Louisiana members serve as honor guards at the funeral of any woman veteran in Louisiana.

Her daughter, Peggy Rockey, accompanied her mother on an Honor Flight out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 10, 2015:

Bonnie Clavijo stood and waved proudly when the Coast Guard Hymn was played at the Bixby High School auditorium.

The World War II veteran from Bartlesville was the only member of that branch of service on the Honor Flight roster.

Clavijo, one of the first female members of the Coast Guard SPAR, originally had enlisted in the Navy.

When the call went out for volunteers she made the change.

The first assignment was the Coast Guard Office off Charleston, S.C. and the new members were quickly challenged when they had to find their own quarters.

“I had a high school education and two years world experience at that time,” she said. “I grew up in a hurry. If my folks who lived in the midwest had known why was going on they probably would have come to get us.”

Parental actions would not have been permitted since Clavijo and others had enlisted for three years.

Future enlistees would have living quarters available, but Clavijo and her colleagues were permitted to stay in their original accommodations.

Clavijo said her Coast Guard training was extended three weeks beyond that of her Navy counterparts.

The reason, she said was they had to learn the meaning of SPAR, the Coast Guard motto The Latin and English translations are Semper Partus! Always Ready!

Her rank in the Coast Guard was Y2C.

Bonnie married Sidney Edwin CLAVIJO in 1944, and was divorced. Sidney (son of Jose Maria (Joseph) CLAVIJO, Sr and Severina G CARBAJAL) was born on 7 Feb 1922 in Louisiana; died on 4 Aug 1983; was buried in Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was Sally L., age 15, in the 1950 census.

Family/Spouse: Hartley Wayne BROWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]