Norma Ruth (Hammonds Rodgers) Whiteside loved the hummingbirds that spent the afternoons flittering outside the bay window in her dining room. She adored visits from her children and grandchildren, who would fill her house with laughter and sometimes bundt cake. She and her husband, Hubert, spent weekends camping and swimming in lakes around Oklahoma. She loved being outside, and she loved her family.

Norma passed away on July 3, 2025, in Antlers, Oklahoma at 88 years old. She was born on May 31, 1937, to Hommer and Nita (Robinson) Hammonds, in Shafter, California. She married Hubert “Bert” Whiteside on August 5, 1955, and they had three children: Wayne, Marshelia “Marie,” and Dale. Norma was preceded in death by her father Hommer; stepfather, Clifford Rodgers; mother, Nita Rodgers; her baby sister, who died before she turned one; brother John E. Rodgers; sister Delores Willock; and her beloved dog, Little One.

Norma is survived by her husband Hubert and their children: Wayne and Ann Whiteside, Marshelia “Marie” and Richard “Rickey” Arnold, and Dale and Leah Whiteside. She loved her grandchildren dearly: Stacy Whiteside, Ryan Whiteside, Lennon and Ashley Arnold, Amber Arnold and Matt Goodman, and Lindsey and Kevin Bostic. In recent years, she got to spend quality time with her great grandchildren, Ilyana Mendez and Oliver and Emmett Bostic. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Joleen Rodgers, and brother-in-law, Dave Willock.

Norma worked at the Antlers Nursing Home for 40 years as a dietitian, where she made lifelong friendships with colleagues such as Imogene McArthur. She enjoyed working the farm with her husband and maintaining her lush flower beds. Once the kids moved out, Norma and Bert spent much of their spare time camping and fishing. She made sure to take her grandkids to the lake whenever she could. Norma also deeply valued her traveling buddies: Connie Wilborn, Phyllis Davis, and Sue Fuller. These four special friends took trips to Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains, and a cruise to Mexico, among many other locations.

She loved arts and crafts and honed her skills in embroidery and silk floral arrangements while excelling as a ceramic painter. She could paint a flower as well as she could a wolf. Her yard was full of color, too, from the flowering plants that she enjoyed as much as the birds did. Music was a huge part of her life, and she particularly liked listening to Elvis, Kenny Rogers, and Waylon Jennings to unwind. She was also a proud member of the Florence Home Extension Club out of Miller, Oklahoma. Norma had many wonderful caregivers over the years, and the family would like to make sure they know how special they were: Chris, Janie, Janette, Jonie, Katie, Marquetta, Melinda, Micha, Sherill, Simone, and the others who helped her as she aged.

Norma believed the greatest joy in life is giving to others, which is how she lived each day.

Serenity Funeral Service (145 W. Main St. in Antlers) will host a visitation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8 and the funeral at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9.