01/16/2018
GETTING ACQUAINTED
With cookies in hand, the new Park at Southwood resident Norma Putman used the sugary treat to get better acquainted with her neighbors. Using baked goods and the ring of a doorbell, she had hoped to connect with those around her.
Putman grew up in Arkansas, and that is evident with the endearing southern drawl she exudes. That loveable charm extends to the “honey” with which she punctuations every sentence or two.
Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, Putman has worked many years as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Married 57 years to United States Marine Sergeant F.A. Putman who fought in World War II and the Korean War, she is proud of the two purple hearts displayed on the wall he earned from injuries sustained in battle.
Her career in the health care field included both the young and old alike. Not only did she care for newborns in a hospital nursery—and even delivered one in an elevator on the way to the delivery room—but also cared for the elderly in home health care.
The tool she uses to get to know her neighbors, a gift basket, she uses to greet new residents to the subdivision. A task she has taken on her own, Putman gives out to others what she desired when she moved in, a friendly welcome. Putman is a firm believer in “give and it shall be given unto you.” She wants others to experience not only a warm greeting but warm baked goods upon moving to the neighborhood.
Putman moved to the subdivision two years ago when a house opened up four doors down from her son and daughter-in-law.
“I love living within a block of my son and in this subdivision,” Putman said. “The neighborhood is quiet, safe and close to shopping.”
Story/Chris Putman
Photo/Chris Putman
