FAMILY LINE AND HISTORY
Norma Madge Chatfield
3rd of 5 children of Clark Samuel Chatfield, Jr. & Madge Rosa
Born: Aug 28, 1921, Williams, Colusa Co., California
Died: Mar 12, 2003 (age 81), San Mateo, San Mateo Co., California; complications from leg ulcer
Cremated: Ashes spread at coast; marked grave at San Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine, Merced Co., California
Occupation: Public Health Department eligibility worker in San Mateo Co., California
Avocation: Poet (Haiku), music, artist: oil painting, watercolors, sculptress
Married: 1941/42, Kenneth Gordon Forcier, living in Berkeley, Alameda Co., California
Two children: Carol Ann Forcier, Jeffrey Lynn Forcier
Kenneth Gordon Forcier
1st of 4 children of Guy Joseph Forcier & Marjorie Lorraine “Margie” Dougall
Born: Dec 11, 1915, Estavan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died: Mar 5, 1978 (age 62), Belmont, San Mateo Co., California; stomach cancer
Cremated: Some ashes spread on coast, remainder inurned at San Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine, Merced Co., California
Military: 1942, WWII U.S. Army Air Force, Sergeant
Occupation: Navy Civil Service: planner/estimator, built the first large-scale desalination plant in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Married: 1941/42, Norma Madge Chatfield, living in Berkeley, Alameda Co., California
Two children: Carol Ann Forcier, Jeffrey Lynn Forcier
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Timeline and Records
Five children of Clark Samuel Chatfield, Jr. & Madge Rosa:
1. Lillian Chatfield
1912 – 1980
2. Lola Chatfield
1914 – 2005
3. Norma Madge Chatfield
1921 – 2004
4. Aura May Chatfield
1923 – 2014
5. Clark Samuel “Sonny” Chatfield, III
1931 – 2003
Four children of Guy Joseph Forcier & Marjorie Lorraine “Margie” Dougall:
1. Kenneth Gordon Forcier
1915 – 1978
2. Betty Jean Forcier
1928 – 1998
3. Arlene Lorraine Forcier
1931 – 2011
4. Clifford Dale Forcier
1935 – 1998
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Dec 11, 1915: Birth of Kenneth Gordon Forcier, 1st of 4 children of Guy Joseph Forcier & Marjorie Lorraine ” Margie” Dougall, in Estavan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Jan 7, 1920: Federal Census for Seattle, King Co., Washington:
Forcier, Guy: Head, male white, age 29, married, born Minnesota, father born France, mother born Vermont, house plasterer
Marjorie: Wife, female, white, age 21, married, born Canada, father born Canada, mother born Canada
Kenneth: Son, male, white, age 4 1/2, single, born Canada, father born Canada, mother born Canada
Aug 28, 1921: Birth of Norma Madge Chatfield, 3rd of 5 children of Clark Samuel Chatfield, Jr. & Madge Rosa, in Williams, Colusa Co., California
California Birth Index:
Name: Norma M Chatfield
Birth Date: 28 Aug 1921
Gender: Female
Mother’s Maiden Name: Rosa
Birth County: Colusa
Apr 9-11, 1930: Federal Census for Williams, Colusa Co., California:
Chatfield, Clark S.: head, age 53, married, owns, value of Real Estate $1,000, born Nebraska, father born Ohio, mother born Ohio, farmer, 56 animals
Madge: wife, age 37, married, immigrated 1900, naturalized 1903, born Italy, father born Italy, mother born Italy
Lillian: daughter, age 17, born Colorado, father born Nebraska, mother born Italy
Lola: daughter, age 15, born Colorado, father born Nebraska, mother born Italy
Norma: daughter, age 8, born California, father born Nebraska, mother born Italy
Aurmay: daughter, age 6, born California, father born Nebraska, mother born Italy (Aura May)
Apr 9, 1930: Federal Census for Hanford City, Kings Co., California:
Forcier, Guy J: Head, male white, age 39, married, born Minnesota, father Canada English, mother born Canada English, plasterer in plastering houses
Marjorie L: Wife, female, white, age 31, married, born Canada English, father born Canada English, mother born France
Kenneth G: Son, male, white, age 14, single, born Canada English, father born Minnesota, mother born Canada English
Betty: Daughter, female, white, age 1 10/12, single, born California, father born Minnesota, mother born Canada English
1933: Castlement High School Yearbook, Kenneth Gordon Forcier (age 16), Oakland, Alameda Co., California:
Honor Society, Hy-Y Club, Chamber of Commerce Contest Winner
Apr 12, 1940: Federal Census for Oakland, Alameda Co., California:
Forcier, Guy J: head, male white, age 50, married, born Minnesota, elementary school 8th grade, cement finisher park project
Marjorie: wife, female, white, age 40, married, high school, 3rd year, born Canada English
Kenneth: son male, white, age 24, single, born Canada English, college 2nd year, attendant in service station
Betty Jean: daughter, female, white, age 11, single, born California, elementary school 5th grade
Arlene: daughter, female, white, age 8, single, born California, elementary school 2nd grade
Clifford: son, male, white, age 4, single, born California
Apr 13, 1940: Federal Census for Williams, Colusa Co., California:
Chatfield, Clark: head, male, white, age 63, married, owns, born Nebraska, manager, high school 2nd year
Madge: wife, female, white, married, age 48, naturalized citizen, born Italy, high school 2nd year
Norma: daughter, female, white, single, age 18, born California, student, college, high school 4th year
Anna May: daughter, female, white, single, age 18, born California, student, high school 2nd year (Aura May)
Clark: son, male, white, single, age 8, born California, elementary school 2nd grade (Clark Samuel Chatfield, III)
Oct 16, 1940: WWII Draft Cards:
Name: Kenneth Gordon Forcier
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 24
Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head)
Birth Date: 11 Dec 1915
Birth Place: Estevan Saskatch, Canada
Residence Place: Oakland, Alameda, California, USA
Registration Date: 16 Oct 1940
Registration Place: Oakland, Alameda, California, USA
Employer: Nineteenth Realty Co
Weight: 160
Complexion: Light
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 5 6
Next of Kin: Guy Joseph Forcier
1941/42: Marriage of Norma Madge Chatfield & Kenneth Gordon Forcier, living in Berkeley, Alameda Co., California
Nov 2, 1942: WWII Military Enlistment Record:
Name: Kenneth G Forcier
Race: White
Marital status: Married
Rank: Private
Birth Year: 1915
Citizenship: Citizen
Residence: Alameda, California
Education: 1 year of college
Civil Occupation: Plumbers, gas fitters, and steam fitters
Enlistment Date: 2 Nov 1942
Enlistment Place: San Francisco, California
Service Number: 39031179
Branch: Branch Immaterial – Warrant Officers, USA
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Height: 65
Weight: 156
Nov 22, 1944: Death of Clark Samuel Chatfield, Jr. (age 68), father of Norma (Chatfield) Forcier, in Colusa, Colusa Co., California; of edema, after failing in health for some years. Clark passed away in the Colusa Memorial Hospital.
1955: City Directory for Redwood City, California (pg 1048):
Forcier Kenneth G (Norma) h527 Chesterton av (Belmont)
Mar 11, 1963: Death of Madge (Rosa) Chatfield (age 70), mother of Norma (Chatfield) Forcier, in Colusa, Colusa Co., California; of a heart attack.
1971: City Directory for Redwood City, California (pg 211):
Forcier Norma M Mrs. eligibility worker county public health department rBelmont (residence, Belmont)
Mar 5, 1978: Death of Kenneth Gordon Forcier (age 62), in Belmont, San Mateo Co., California; of stomach cancer
Cremated: Some ashes spread at the coast, the remainder inurned on Mar 21, 2003, in the San Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine, Merced Co., California
California Death Index:
Name: Kenneth Gordon Forcier
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 11 Dec 1915
Birth Place: Canada
Death Date: 5 Mar 1978
Death Place: San Mateo
Dec 15, 2001: Published The Essence of My Soul: Impressions in Haiku:
Amazon Editorial Review
About the Author
Denial of nature and her intrinsic timeless beauty can be a catalyst, once granted, to an explosive outpouring of, thought, observation, and discovery. So it was for Norma Chatfield Forcier. Norma, born and raised in the central California town of Williams, was thought of by her family as sweet, but slow. At the age of 10, her fourth-grade teacher, on a hunch, took her to an ophthalmologist for an examination. Two weeks later, she was fitted with bottle bottom thick lenses. “What happened next,” recalled Norma, “was nothing short of a miracle. The muddled gray visual images in an instant became crystal clear in form, detail, and unity of recognition. For the first time in my life, I saw clearly the beauty of a human face! The long ride home was overwhelming!” Her family quickly discovered she was anything but slow! Graduating from Williams High School, she attended University of California at Berkeley, majoring in Decorative Art. There she met and married Kenneth Forcier, who, after serving in the Air Force in WWII, returned to help raise two children, Carol, now a Realtor in Nevada, and Jeffrey, a General Contractor in California. She has been blessed with four grandchildren. Her inexhaustible search for new and varying vehicles of expression for her extraordinary talents have led her to an impressive and diverse list of accomplishments. Music, short stories, poetry, Haiku, oil painting, watercolors, sumi-e, sculpture, all of these have been explored in depth as Norma continued her ceaseless quest for self-expression. Now 80 years old, Norma lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by her artwork, her extensive collection of Asian art, and reams of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s art. She spends her days, and some nights, writing poetry, and Haiku.
Mar 12, 2003: Death of Norma Madge (Chatfield) Forcier (age 81), 3rd of 5 children of Clark Samuel Chatfield, Jr. & Madge Rosa, in San Mateo, San Mateo Co., California; complications from a leg ulcer.
Mar 18, 2003: San Mateo County Times and the Alameda Times-Star, san Mateo Co., and Alameda Co., California:
NORMA FORCIER Born in Williams, California August 28, 1921, died in San Mateo, March 12, 2003. Beloved wife of the late Kenneth Gordon Forcier and devoted mother to Carol Ann Hanni of Las Vegas and Jeffrey Lynn Forcier of Belmont. Norma was the author of Essence of My Soul, a volume of haiku, a sculptor, and artist whose work is in several California collections. She is survived by her sisters, Lola Fabris of Berkeley, Aura Edwards of Lafayette, her brother Clark Samuel Chatfield III of Sacramento, and four grandchildren. Friends and family are invited to attend a celebration of her life on Thursday, March 20th, 2003, 11:30 am until 2:30 pm at 527 Chesterton Ave., Belmont. Contributions in her memory may be made to The California State Parks Foundation. Arrangements by Wyant & Smith Funeral Homes & Crematory in Sunnyvale.
Mar 21, 2003: U.S. Veteran’s Gravesite Record:
Name: Kenneth Gordon Forcier
Death Age: 62
Birth Date: 11 Dec 1915
Service Start Date: 16 Nov 1942
Service End Date: 28 Nov 1945
Death Date: 5 Mar 1978
Interment Date: 21 Mar 2003
Cemetery Address: 32053 West McCabe Road Gustine, CA 95322
Cemetery: San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery
Interment Place: California
Plot: SECTION C-8 SITE 360
Notes: SGT US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
Mar 25, 2003: U.S. Veteran’s Gravesite Record:
Name: Norma Madge Forcier
Death Age: 81
Birth Date: 28 Aug 1921
Death Date: 12 Mar 2003
Interment Date: 25 Mar 2003
Cemetery Address: 32053 West McCabe Road Gustine, CA 95322
Cemetery: San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery
Interment Place: California
Plot: SECTION C-8 SITE 360
Relative: Kenneth Gordon Forcier
Notes: SGT US ARMY AIR FORCES
Norma was cremated and her ashes spread at the coast; there is gravestone engraved with her name at San Joaquin National Cemetery in Gustine, Merced Co., California, with her husband.
2020. Catherine (Clemens) Sevenau.