Conover, Norma Jean Schmidt - 1928-2024

CONOVER, DOWIE, HUSMANN, JANSEN, KOOISTRA, LESTER, PATTERSON, SCHMIDT, SEXTON, VANDE KROL

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 4/11/2024 at 10:54:46

Norma Conover, 95, of rural Lynnville, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, Jan. 23, 2024, at Traditions Memory Care of Newton. Services will be held at a later date, and her body has been donated to the University of Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Progress Industries, 202 North 3rd Avenue West, Newton, IA 50208.
Norma Jean Conover, the daughter of Francis and Lenora (Kooistra) Schmidt, was born Aug. 3, 1928, near Searsboro. She graduated from New Sharon High School in 1948 and then attended Northwest College in Loring, MN, receiving her teacher’s certificate. June 7, 1950, Norma Jean was united in marriage to Bruce Conover at Bruce’s childhood home near Sully. To this union, six children were born: David, Deborah, Thomas Daniel, Ruth, Paul Thomas, and Laurie. Norma taught a few years at Fleming Country School near Taintor and subbed at Austin Country School north of Lynnville, but was mainly a housewife raising their children. Norma’s passion was doll making, and she was known for her “Dollyville Tours” that she gave at her home. Over the years, she had over 800 dolls.
Her legacy will be cherished by her daughters Ruth (Marlo) Jansen of Sully and Laurie Conover of Chicago; her seven grandchildren: Ben (Tara) Conover, Angela (Patrick) Patterson, Caleigh (Ryan) Dowie, Zach (Ashley) Conover, Holly (Brandon) Lester, Luke (Jolee) Jansen, and Noelle (Brandon) Husmann; 20 great-grandchildren; a brother Freddie Wayne Schmidt; along with many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Norma Jean was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Bruce in 2007; three sons: David, Thomas Daniel, and Paul Thomas; a daughter Deborah Conover; siblings Mary Lois Vande Krol, Barbara Sexton, and Sammie Lee Schmidt.
Source: Hometown Press (Sully, IA); January 31, 2024