Mountain View Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary is pleased to announce Mary Norris as Volunteer of the Quarter for Jan. 2006. Mary has been a hospital volunteer since 2001, where she proudly serves in the Emergency Room.

Mary was born on June 29, 1932 to Paul and Daisy Van Gorder. She has one sister, Nancy. Her family lived on a small farm in Central Illinois, but her father passed away when she was only four years old, forcing her mother to move the family into town. Her mother worked as the City Librarian to support them. At the age of 18, her mother also passed away. After high school graduation, with the encouragement of two aunts, Mary attended the Methodist Hospital of Peoria, Illinois to become an RN.

Upon receiving her nursing degree, Mary moved to Alaska to work as a nurse and lived in the basement of a boarding house. Tom Norris, a local policeman, lived upstairs. They met in the laundry room and the rest is history. They soon married and had three children, Rose, Jim and Cathy. They have also been blessed with 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Mary has worked as a nurse in Missouri, Illinois, Nevada, California, Alaska and Utah, where she has blessed the lives of others. In 1978 they moved to Utah to be closer to Tom's family. Mary also began her career working at Mountain View Hospital.

During 1983 and 1984 she took leave to work in Saudi, Arabia as an RN. While employed with Mountain View Hospital, she has served in various positions such as Supervisor, Head Nurse, Infection Control and continues to work in Quality Management.

Mary volunteers in the ER, assists with Quality Management and also prepares Holiday Tray Favors for patients. Not one to just sit around, she also volunteers at the Springville Arts Museum, Missionary Training Center, as well as various church callings.

Quick witted, Mary always has a joke or something to tease the brain. She enjoys traveling, reading and collecting miniatures. Fellow volunteers have commented on her willingness to serve, that she is a wonderful example of what a volunteer should be and a great friend to all. Mary is a hard worker, dependable, and always has a big smile for everyone she meets.

We are so grateful to have Mary as a member of our Volunteer Auxiliary and appreciate all she does to fulfill her assignments and to help others. Please join the Hospital Administration, Staff and Volunteers in congratulating Mary on this award.

This story appeared in Spanish Fork Press on page A5.