Obituaries:  Jack Edward Norris, Sabine Parish       N-620
Source:  Sabine Index, Many, La., Nov 5, 1970
Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck
              carlrad@earthlink.net




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Jack Edward Norris

  Jack Edward Norris, 39 year old invalid, was burned to death
when the home of his parents caught fire Wednesday, Oct. 28. His
parents are Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Norris, and the home is located on
the Fisher Highway in Many.

  The dead man's father said the fire was discovered just before
three that afternoon. Members of the Many Volunteer Fire
Department were on the scene in a hurry, but not soon enough to
rescue Jack from the burning house.

  Norris told the INDEX that he and Mrs. Norris were in their
small motor repair shop, which is located in front of their
house.

  He said Mrs. Norris had told him that Jack didn't want his
transistor radio anymore. He said he went in the house to give
Jack some coffee.

  Said Norris, "He had a newspaper spread in his lap. I gave him
the coffee, and said 'Mama said you didn't want your radio any
more'". Norris said he got the radio, and playfully "waltzed"
through the house with it, bringing it to the back room, where
Jack was.

  "I put the radio back, slapped him on the leg, and smiled at
him", Norris relates. "It was the last time I saw him."

  Norris said he went back to the shop where his wife was, and
about five minutes later, the fire was discovered.

  Norris said he ran in the house, and tried to get Jack out. "The
smoke was so black", he said. "It was like midnight. The smoke
hit my lungs. I dropped to the floor".

  He said he got up, and by chance happened to bump into Mrs.
Norris, who had followed him in the house. He said he told her to
get out.

  Norris said by this time, he was sure his son was burned up. He
said he had a heavy rubber water hose, which he had purchased not
too much earlier. He said at the time he purchased it, he
remarked to his wife that they might need if for a fire. "Little
did I know I would be using it so soon.", Norris said.

  Norris had nothing but praise for the efforts of the firemen. "I
appreciate what the firemen did", he said. "They did a minimum of
physical damage. They didn't tear up anything unnecessarily".

  Concerning the cause of the fire, Norris said he was sure a leaf
of the newspaper flew into the heater, which was on in Jack's
room. "That room was papered", he said. "It went up fast".

  Jack had been unable to walk since 1956.

  Funeral services were held in the Many First Baptist Church on
Friday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. Officiating was the Rev. Perry
Lassiter.

  Burial was in the Jerusalem Cemetery, under the direction of
Warren Meadows Funeral Home of Many.

  Survivors were his parents.

  Pallbearers were Norman Knippers, Troy Britt, Osborn Miller, Dan
Slay, Bob Robinson, and Valmore Byles.