Norma Jean Wild

Norma Jean Wild

Norma Jean Wild was born July 10, 1928 in Zion, Illinois. Norma Jean preferred to be called Jean, she hated the name Norma and told you in no uncertain terms. When Jean was 2 years of age, her father Otto returned to Germany abandoning Jean and her mother Grace. Jean spent her youth in Zion, Illinois and New York. Jean lived through the great depression and World War II. Grace remarried a gentleman named Harry. Harry raised Jean as his own daughter and Jean considered Harry as her biological father. Harry served as a cook in the United States Navy during World War II. Sometime after the war, Jean's family moved to Loveland, Colorado along with her two aunts. Grace and Harry, Jean's parents, adopted two brothers, Jack and Jerry. Jean had no biological siblings. In 1947, Jean met her soon to be husband, Vernon G. Wild, a long time resident of Loveland. She was hired as a nanny to Vernon's three children, Gary, Ronald, and Janice from a previous marriage. In April 1948, they married and in June of 1949, Jean gave birth to her eldest son David, who currently lives in Littleton with his wife Jane. In November, 1952, her second son Kenneth was born. He subsequently married Christina and had three sons which all reside in Colorado. In August 1958, her third and last son Mark was born. While serving in the Navy, Mark married and had two sons. Mark and his sons currently live in New Mexico. Jean was a tall lady 5' 10”, she had gained weight then slimmed down between the birth of Kenneth and Mark. Years later, Jean confessed that she had figured out her own form of birth control......stay fat! Jean was a homemaker and she enjoyed reading, doing needle work, word puzzles and soap operas. Later, she would develop and affinity for bingo. She pretty much broke even playing throughout the years. Jean is survived by her three sons, their 5 sons and 4 grandchildren. Also survived by stepson Gary and step daughter Jan along with a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A celebration of Jean's life will be held at the Bullock Colonial Chapel on Saturday, February 1st at 11:00 a.m.