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Margaret "Normalee" (Bard) Anderson, 85, of Needmore, PA died Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at her home surrounded by her family and dog Snuggles. Born November 11, 1935 at her parent's home in Licking Creek Township near Harrisonville, she was the daughter of the late Merril "Lee" and Edna Arvilla (Decker) Bard. As a young girl, Normalee and her siblings attended the Green Hill School in Harrisonville. The children walked approximately 2 miles to meet Coy Swope's school bus on Sipes Mill Road. Although, occasionally, they flagged down the milk truck driver for a ride as they lived on a dairy farm. Normalee enjoyed her 4-H farm and gardening projects. She raised a dairy cow named Clarabelle. Normalee also grew flowers from cuttings and the family still has a Christmas Cactus which was originally kept by her grandmother Mary Jane (Mellott) Decker. Normalee and her sisters learned to sew in 4-H by making dresses out of cotton feed sacks with printed designs. Normalee often traded feed sacks with other relatives to get enough matching material to make an entire dress.
Normalee was a seamstress at Stanley in Chambersburg where she made men's suits and she was also a caregiver for the Home Nursing Agency. Normalee always kept a garden, raised and sold strawberries, canned fruits and vegetables for winter storage and baked homemade bread every week.
Normalee was a member of the Sidling Hill Christian Church, Sidling Hill Lady's Aide and the Ebenezer United Methodist Church.
Normalee will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and dear friend. Some folks might also remember Normalee for her precise fishing forecasts that she said were based on the sharp pain in her right toe during a drop in the barometric pressure.
Normalee was preceded in death by her husband Warren "Guy" Anderson of Needmore. Normalee met Guy while on a 4-H trip to Penn State University. After 4½ years of courting, Guy married his lovely bride on May 14, 1955 at the Sidling Hill Christian Church in Needmore.
Normalee is survived by 3 sisters and 1 brother: Donna Gordon of Needmore, Joan Lamberson of Dover, Pat Hutchinson of Indianapolis, IN, and Richard Bard of Harrisonville. She is survived by 2 sons and 2 daughters: Ricky L. of Harrisonville and his children's mother Christine Horton of McConnellsburg, Cathy L. and her husband Berley Souders of Wells Tannery, S. Diane and her husband Ken Swope of Needmore, and Kevin W. Anderson and his better half Deb Rotz of Harrisburg. She was sadly preceded in death by 1 grandson Kenny Swope of Needmore and survived by 10 remaining grandchildren: Tyler Crouse-Anderson of Hustontown, Crystal Hedrick of Shelocta PA, Jennifer Hann of McConnellsburg, Ryan Anderson of Harrisonville, Darcy Garlock of Hopewell, Maggie Cunningham of McConnellsburg, Megan Buterbaugh of Hopewell, Patrick Anderson of McConnellsburg, Scott Swope of Needmore, and Chelsey Berkstresser of Greer, SC. She is also survived by 18 great-grandchildren: Natalie and Blake Peffer of Shelocta; Hunter and Chase Kagarise of Hopewell; Aaralyn, Cam, and Leah Anderson of McConnellsburg; Parker and Matthew Hann of McConnellsburg; Bentley and Asher Buterbaugh of Hopewell; Owen and Evelyn Cunningham of McConnellsburg; Sawyer and Ryder Swope of Needmore; Jude Huston of Harrisonville and Maddux Jackson of Greer, SC; and Bethany Anderson of Hustontown.
Funeral service will be Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 2:00 PM at the Ebenezer United Methodist Church Pavilion, Harrisonville, PA with Pastor William Swope and Pastor Erik Sollenberger officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service on Sunday at the Ebenezer Church Pavilion. If attending, please bring a lawn chair and follow CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 restrictions. Interment at Ebenezer United Methodist Cemetery, Harrisonville, PA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to: Fulton County Medical Center Foundation, 214 Peach Orchard Rd, McConnellsburg, PA 17233.
Arrangements were made by the Howard L. Sipes Funeral Home, Inc., McConnellsburg, PA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.howardlsipes.com.
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