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| Naomi Lotspeich Hawn |
Naomi was born Naomi Verta Lotspeich December 11, 1918 – the first of twin babies of Gladys Marie and James “Jimmy” William Lotspeich. She and her twin, Ioma Verna, were born at home in a rural area outside of Harrisonville, Missouri.
Naomi graduated salutatorian from Garden City High School class of 1936.
She worked the summer after graduating in Dail Wright’s factory office in Garden City to earn the $25 she needed for a secretarial course at Kansas City Business College. After finishing the course in 1938, Naomi took a job at Montgomery Ward’s regional office in Kansas City.
1938 was also the year Naomi met a young man named Albert Mallory Hawn who would become her husband on August 19, 1939 in a wedding performed by Albert’s father, Rev. Charles E. Hawn, a Baptist minister, in Naomi’s parents’ home at Garden City, Missouri. Albert owned the Hawn Radio Repair in Warrensburg and Naomi watched and learned how to repair radios. In the 1940’s, televisions were introduced. It was said that they may have had the first TV – and TV antennae on their roof – in Warrensburg. Albert began to work on the TVs, Naomi took over the radios, and the shop changed its name to Hawn TV & Radio Repair.
In 1941 the couple moved to Kansas City and later Omaha, Nebraska while Albert was a civilian Army employee making radio modifications on airplanes. During this time they owned a motorcycle and saw as much of the country as they could. When World War II ended, they returned to Warrensburg and the repair business. Naomi would become the Warrensburg First Baptist Church’s head librarian in 1954 and would hold that position for 20 years.
On April 20, 1957, Naomi & Albert had their only child, Philip Mallory Hawn. When Phil graduated from high school in 1975, Albert retired and the couple moved to Clearview City, a retirement village just outside of De Soto, Kansas. It wasn’t long before Naomi felt the pull to return to office life – and in “retirement” – became the office manager of the village. In 1989 they moved to Grandview, Missouri and Naomi finally, really retired. They became members of Grandview First Baptist Church and lived in Grandview until Albert passed away in September of 2001. Soon after, Naomi moved to a 10th floor apartment in Pasadena, California to be close to her son and his wife. She had truly become “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.” She often said that it was her favorite apartment, with its views of Mt. Wilson and the Rose Bowl fireworks on the 4th of July. After only three years of living there, a bad fall and osteoporosis forced her into nursing home life. At that point, it was decided that she would be happier living in Harrisonville - near her siblings and their families. She lived out the rest of her life – 11 years – in the Crown Care Center of Harrisonville surrounded by family and friends whose lives were forever changed by knowing this very special lady.
Naomi is survived by her son Phil Hawn and his wife Susan of Pico Rivera, California; a brother, Jim Lotspeich and his wife Betty of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; two sisters, Wilma Sisk of Garden City, Missouri and Helen Kenney and her husband Don of Clinton, Missouri; other relatives and many, many friends and fans.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri with burial in the Garden City Cemetery, Garden City, Missouri.
Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the funeral home.
Family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Lottie Moon Offering.
1938 was also the year Naomi met a young man named Albert Mallory Hawn who would become her husband on August 19, 1939 in a wedding performed by Albert’s father, Rev. Charles E. Hawn, a Baptist minister, in Naomi’s parents’ home at Garden City, Missouri. Albert owned the Hawn Radio Repair in Warrensburg and Naomi watched and learned how to repair radios. In the 1940’s, televisions were introduced. It was said that they may have had the first TV – and TV antennae on their roof – in Warrensburg. Albert began to work on the TVs, Naomi took over the radios, and the shop changed its name to Hawn TV & Radio Repair.
In 1941 the couple moved to Kansas City and later Omaha, Nebraska while Albert was a civilian Army employee making radio modifications on airplanes. During this time they owned a motorcycle and saw as much of the country as they could. When World War II ended, they returned to Warrensburg and the repair business. Naomi would become the Warrensburg First Baptist Church’s head librarian in 1954 and would hold that position for 20 years.
On April 20, 1957, Naomi & Albert had their only child, Philip Mallory Hawn. When Phil graduated from high school in 1975, Albert retired and the couple moved to Clearview City, a retirement village just outside of De Soto, Kansas. It wasn’t long before Naomi felt the pull to return to office life – and in “retirement” – became the office manager of the village. In 1989 they moved to Grandview, Missouri and Naomi finally, really retired. They became members of Grandview First Baptist Church and lived in Grandview until Albert passed away in September of 2001. Soon after, Naomi moved to a 10th floor apartment in Pasadena, California to be close to her son and his wife. She had truly become “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena.” She often said that it was her favorite apartment, with its views of Mt. Wilson and the Rose Bowl fireworks on the 4th of July. After only three years of living there, a bad fall and osteoporosis forced her into nursing home life. At that point, it was decided that she would be happier living in Harrisonville - near her siblings and their families. She lived out the rest of her life – 11 years – in the Crown Care Center of Harrisonville surrounded by family and friends whose lives were forever changed by knowing this very special lady.
Naomi is survived by her son Phil Hawn and his wife Susan of Pico Rivera, California; a brother, Jim Lotspeich and his wife Betty of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; two sisters, Wilma Sisk of Garden City, Missouri and Helen Kenney and her husband Don of Clinton, Missouri; other relatives and many, many friends and fans.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri with burial in the Garden City Cemetery, Garden City, Missouri.
Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the funeral home.
Family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Lottie Moon Offering.
