Steffen, Norma F. 1927-1984

STEFFEN, HUFF, GABEL, BREITING, SYTSMA, THOMPSON, SWANK

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 5/30/2016 at 17:08:24

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
June 14, 1984

NORMA STEFFEN RITES TODAY

Norma F. Steffen, 57, the wife of Melvin N. Steffen, of Rte. 1, Malcom, died Tuesday, June 12, of cancer at Grinnell General Hospital.

Funeral services for Mrs. Steffen will be held today at the Malcom Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. Gerald F. Brown, pastor, officiating. Music will be provided by Kathleen Heffner, organist, and Frank Schultz, vocalist.

Pallbearers will be Lester Baird, Herchel Griffith, Lyle Johnson, Bill Kuntz, Leonard Souter, and Eldon VanWyk. Flower bearers will be Marvin and Virginia Billman, Edward and Leta Hollman, and Dr. T.E. and Nancy Fitzpatrick.

Burial will be in Jackson Township Cemetery in Montezuma. Memorials may be made in Mrs. Steffen's name and left at the Smith Funeral Home.

She was born near Oskaloosa on Feb. 4, 1927, the daughter of George and Goldie Huff Gabel. She attended Pella and New Sharon schools and graduated from Lacey High School in 1945.

On March 30, 1946, she married Melvin N. Steffen at Oskaloosa. The couple farmed southwest of Malcom.

She was a member of the Malcom Trinity Lutheran Church, the Chat-A-Lot club, and was secretary and treasurer of the Iowa South Devon Association, a cattle breeders organization. She was also a member of the North American South Devon Association and this spring she received the National Hall of Fame Award for years of breeding and promotion of South Devon cattle. She and her family showed cattle throughout the Midwest at numerous prestigious shows.

Survivors include her husband, Melvin; her children, Larry N. Steffen of Newton, David M. Steffen of Rte. 1, Malcom, and Mrs. Linda J. (Kenneth) Breiting of Rte. 1, Malcom. Also surviving are one brother and three sisters, Lawrence Gabel of Ft. Worth, Texas, Mrs. Barbara (Glenn) Sytsma of Leighton, Mrs. Marjorie (Virgil) Thompson of Montezuma, and Mrs. JoAnn (Jim) Swank of Oskaloosa.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Francis Gabel, in infancy; and her children, Timothy W. Steffen in 1972 and Marilyn Jean Steffen in 1957.