Noma Asay Harris Adams

Feb. 10, 1916 – Sept. 11, 2014

[caption id="attachment_9074" align="alignright" width="223"] Noma Asay Harris Adams[/caption]

Lovell native and former resident Noma Adams died Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, in Missoula, Mont.

Noma Asay Harris Adams was born Feb. 10, 1916, in Lovell to Eleazar (Al) and Amanda Permelia Hatch Asay (Dolly). She was the 10th child of a family of 12.

Noma has always said by the time her mother had her, she kept saying “no more, no more!” and that is where Noma came from. She was born into a loving, godly home. Their family worked hard and learned early to love, respect and honor their parents, siblings and the Lord. Noma had a very close relationship with her mother and her siblings.

Noma graduated high school in Lovell and married her high school sweetheart, Otis Lewis Harris. They had a daughter, Susan Sharlene. Just a couple of years after Sue was born, Otis was killed in an automobile accident. One month after his death, Noma gave birth to their son, Otis Lewis Harris.

With two small children to raise, Noma got her cosmetology license and did hair for the next 15 years. During a visit to her sister in Stevensville, Mont., Noma met and later married Leslie Leonard Adams. Noma, Sue and Otie moved to Stevensville, where this little family lived and loved for several years. Noma and Les had a daughter, Pamela Ann. Sue and Otie were adults by this time and moving on with their lives. Noma, Les and Pam moved to Darby, Mont. They had a wonderful life there with Noma doing hair and Les being a barber. Les was diagnosed with cancer and died in July 1962.

At this point Noma had to stop doing hair due to allergies to the solutions. She and Pam moved to Missoula and she got her business degree. Shortly after, she and Pam moved to California, where she worked as a secretary at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She then transferred to Fort Harrison in Helena, Mont. She retired from the federal government and then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Louisiana. She made many friends and was a great missionary.

After her mission, she unselfishly gave her time, effort and love to taking care of her two older brothers in Lovell. When they both died, she continued living in Lovell. Noma eventually moved to Billings to be closer to her family.

At the end of 2011, she moved to Missoula to be close to family there. She lived independently in her apartment until April 2013 when she fell and became of resident of Village Health Care. On Sept. 7, 2014, Noma fell, breaking her hip in three places. After a few short days in the hospital, her tired little body gave up. The Lord took her hand and led her home.

The family’s beloved matriarch, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, niece and friend was an amazing woman. She faced so many challenges in this life.  She raised her children as a single mom.

One of her greatest challenges was losing her sight to Macular Degeneration. This is a terrible disease with no cure, but Noma handled her everyday life admirably.

Noma was preceded in death by her parents, Al and Dolly, husbands Otis and Les, brothers Vern, Homer, Ken, Carl, Earl, Lewis, Evan and Max, sisters Hazel and Vera, sons-in-law Dan Reynolds and Jack Fredericks and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins and friends.

Noma is survived by her sister Betty Stine (Carl), daughter Susan Pfau (Sabe), son Otis Harris (Glenna), daughter Pamela Fredericks-Fanelli (Nick), 13 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, 20 great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Noma’s service will be Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, at the Lovell LDS Stake Center at 11 a.m. There will be a viewing preceding the service at 10 a.m. at the stake center.

Haskell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.