Mary Elizabeth “Betty” (Hatch) Norburg, 74, of Milford, beloved wife of Charles H. Norburg, Jr., passed away on March 4 at a Bangor hospital, following complications due to pancreatic cancer.
Born in Damariscotta on Feb. 3, 1933, she was the daughter of Frederick J. and Eola S. (Jackson) Hatch.
Betty grew up in Nobleboro on the West Neck Rd., what is now Camp Kieve, and later on Old Rt. 1.
She attended school in Nobleboro and graduated from Waldoboro High School, class of 1951. Betty then graduated from the University of Maine, class of 1955, with a B.S. in bacteriology.
While at the University she was active in Canterbury Club and the Maine Masque Theater.
Betty was a member of St. James Episcopal Church in Old Town, which was a very large part of her life. She was active in the Women of St. James, the choir, the Episcopal Church Women, and the Church Periodical Club of which she was the Diocesan Coordinator. She was also church organist for a period of time, until MS prohibited her from continuing that duty. Betty served her Church as Senior Warden, delegate to the Annual Convention as well as delegate to the Triennial Convention for Episcopal Church Women. She was a longtime volunteer for Crossroads Ministries for which she also served on the Board of Directors.
After her children were grown, Betty went back to college and earned an Associates Degree in chemical addiction counseling and a Master’s Degree in education. She worked for some time at the Women’s Halfway House in Bangor.
Betty is survived by her husband; sons, Jonathan Frederick and wife Michele St. Martin of St. Paul, Minn. and Ian Andrew of Milford; daughter, Karen Adair and husband Kenneth Varian of Marshfield; granddaughters, Katherine Mary Shumin “Cassie” St. Martin-Norburg and Caroline Eugenie Jiaoping “Carly” St. Martin-Norburg; grandson, Dylan John Allen; brother, Arthur Jones of Newcastle; sisters, Millecent Ball of Damariscotta and Ruth Applin of Wiscasset; many nieces and nephews and their children; and special friends, Marilyn Sibley with whom she drank many cups of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, and Jean Marie Boddy-Johnston.
Committal service and interment 4:30, Sat., May 26 at the Hatch Family Cemetery, West Neck Rd., Nobleboro.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of the restoration of St. James organ, to St. James Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 183, Old Town, ME 04468-0183.
