Vance, Norma L. 1920-2008

VANCE, MATTESON, CROWDER, GRANBERRY, SEDREL, SCHAFF, NORQUIST, POSTELS, HEIMSOTH

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 8/10/2010 at 16:12:50

Poweshiek County Chronicle Republican; Jan. 7, 2009

NORMA L. VANCE, 88

Norma L. Vance, 88, of Grinnell, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2008, at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center of respiratory failure.

A celebration of life service was held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at Herrick Chapel on the Grinnell College campus.

Memorials may be directed to the Norma L. Vance Charitable Foundation to benefit local organizations of the family's choice. Online condolences may be submitted to the family on the Smith Funeral Home Web site.

A very special thank you to Joan Heimsoth, Hedy Moore, Nancy Renaud, Paula Spencer, and Julie Morarie for all the help given with such loving care. The family would like to thank the nurses and aides of the Mayflower Community and Grinnell Regional Hospice.

Norma was born the daughter of Harry and Mina Matteson Crowder on May 22, 1920, in rural Jasper County. She attended Grinnell schools and graduated from Grinnell High School with the class of 1937. She attended Iowa State University in Ames from 1937-1939, and then attended Grinnell College from 1940-1942, where she graduated with the class of 1942. In her last year at Grinnell College, she was the business manager for the Scarlett and Black.

She was united in marriage to Donald Bruce Vance on June 5, 1942, at her parent's home in Grinnell. While living in Grinnell, she was the deaconess at the United Church of Christ-Congregational Church, was a volunteer for the Community Hospital Auxiliary, and was a Campfire Girls leader. She worked on the committee to build the first Grinnell Municipal Swimming Pool and also served on the committee to build Bailey Park Elementary School. She served on the board of directors of St. Francis Manor Nursing Home and was a member of PEO since 1952.

Norma's career included serving as a social worker for the Iowa Department of Social Services in Poweshiek county until 1968. She then was employed at the Iowa State Department of Human Services, where she wrote procedures for Medicaid for the State of Iowa. She worked for the State of Iowa until 1980. The couple resided in West Des Moines until 1987, and then moved to Grinnell.

Norma is survived by her daughters, Beth (Garvin) Granberry of Asherton, Texas, and Becky (Mike) Sedrel of Diablo, Calif.; her granddaugthers, Mary Beth (Steve) Schaff of Houston, Texas, Amber (Greg) Norquist of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Jessica Sedrel of San Ramon, Calif.; her great-granddaughters, Kallie Sedrel, Molly and Brianna Schaff, and Annika and Britta Norquist; her sister, Reba (Ned) Postels of Grinnell; her niece, Joan (Arnold) Heimsoth of Grinnell; and her nephew, Dick (Bev) Postels of Grinnell.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Don.