NORBY, Bonnita Gae (Schmidt) 1931-2020

NORBY, SCHMIDT, BORTZ

Posted By: Volunteer73
Date: 3/25/2024 at 10:15:35

Bonnie Norby

Bonnie Norby, age 88, of Osage, ended her journey peacefully Thursday evening March 12, 2020, at Faith Lutheran Home in Osage.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at Rock Creek Lutheran Church, 3269 Foothill Avenue, Osage, with Pastor David A. Werges officiating. Burial will be at Rock Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage.

Bonnie’s wishes were that there be no flowers or plants for the visitation and service. Memorial contributions will be distributed by her children to Bonnie’s favorite charities in her name.

Bonnita Gae Schmidt was born on her parents’ farm in rural Floyd County, on October 31, 1931. She was the oldest of five children born to Justus and Matilda (Bortz) Schmidt. Bonnie was baptized and confirmed at Eden Presbyterian Church, rural Rudd. She attended country school through 8th grade and then attended Rudd High School, graduating as valedictorian in 1949. In high school, she met the young man who would become her husband and partner for the majority of her life.

Bonnie Schmidt and John Norby were married at the Little Brown Church on November 5, 1949. They started their life together and the next year started farming on various rented farms in the Rudd area. They were, as they often said “two kids with nothing raising babies the best they knew how”. Their family grew as Pam, Dana, Steve and Randy arrived.

Mom was tireless and did it all. She cooked and baked, and always raised a bountiful garden. She sewed, knitted, and mended most of our clothes. She preferred working at anything outside rather than the chores in the house. She milked cows, pulled calves, sorted hogs and worked in the field. Mom and Dad were partners on the farm and at Norby Green Country which they owned and operated starting in 1979.

Mom was a great example and teacher for all of us kids. She stopped the quarrels, soothed the hurt, and fed our bodies and our souls with a smile on her face.

She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, John in 2012.

She is survived by her daughter, Pam Johnson and husband Maurice of rural Floyd; sons, Dana and wife Marlene, Steve and wife Jolene, and Randy and wife Sandy, all of rural Osage. Ten grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren also survive: Ben Johnson, wife Amy, Jackson and Riley; Andy Johnson, wife Abbie, Kyle and Carter; Kathryn Fox and husband Michael, Jonas and Evelyn; Audrey Norby and husband Andrew Sprung; Adam Norby, wife Melissa, Caroline and Halsten; Johanna Smalley and husband Greg, Hattie and Eliza; Rachel Amundson and husband Alec and Nora; Erin Wilson and husband Rich, Reese, Sasha and Brooklyn; Amy Norby; and Anna Okrah and husband Osei, Isaac and Josephine; two sisters, Phyllis (Richard) Schlobohm of Mill Valley, California, and Barbara Tjernell of Novato, California; two brothers, Francis (Dorothy) Schmidt of Osage, and Bill (Carol) Schmidt of Osage.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home 641-732-3706

Source: Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home