Hood County Texas Genealogical Society
JIM & NORMA COLEMAN
Colemans
honored superb service
Hood
County News – June 23, 2003
A couple who have given more than half their lives to educating and improving their community have been honored for this unselfish service. Jim and Norma Coleman were recently honored by the Granbury Masonic Lodge #392 and the Grand Lodge of Texas with the Community Builder Award.
The couple have a combined 55 years of service in the Tolar schools.
They began teaching there in 1962. Jim taught and coached all boys' sports. He
was principal for 12 of those 14 years.
His six-man football teams won 104 games in those 14 years.
In all those 14 years he also drove a school bus route morning and afternoons.
After 14 years he left education and has been a rancher active in the Hood
County Livestock Raisers Association. He is involved with the Hood County
Livestock Show and the July Fourth ranch rodeo.
He has been a director of the Memorial Scholarship Foundation since the Chris
Richter Foundation began.
Norma Coleman began teaching in 1962 and after 41 years has no retirement
plans.
In her career she coached the cheerleaders 31 years, is still coaching
University Interscholastic League UIL literary events and meets, works with the
ex-students of Tolar High School and with the Tolar livestock committee and the
Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
When the Norma Coleman Technology Center was dedicated in her honor her
administrators said:
"She is a great asset to our school and community. Students, teachers,
local citizens and we administrators draw on her wealth of experience and
knowledge."
Other honors for her include the Mirabeau B. Lamar award for excellence for
public education in 2000, Jack Harvey Award for Excellence in Education and
nominated for Texas' top UIL director.
Both are still dedicated Rattler sports fans, seldom missing a game.
They have two daughters, Camyle Spence and Carmyn Thom and two granddaughters,
Ashton and Brandi Spence.