NORRIS, Vern (1885-1976)

NORRIS

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes (email)
Date: 7/11/2008 at 11:37:23

Toledo (Iowa) Chronicle; Feb. 25, 1976

SERVICES HELD MONDAY FOR VERN NORRIS

Vern Norris died Friday, Feb. 20, 1976 at Mercy hospital, Cedar Rapids where he had been taken by the Toledo ambulance on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Norris, 90, was a veteran of the Toledo Volunteer Fire dsepartment during the early years of that organization when it used horse-drawn carts. He was with the company when it first purchased a motorized truck.

Funeral services were held Monday, Feb. 23 at the Henderson Funeral Home at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Louis Haase, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, officiating.

Mrs. Dolores Harris, organist, accompanied Mrs. John Gray who sang, "How Great Thou Art." Mrs. D.K. Henderson was in charge of the flowers.

Burial was made in the Woodlawn cemetery with the followifng as casket bearers: George Stein, Harlan Huyck, Ernest Mayo, John Gray, Vaughan Hulse and Wayne Martin.

Mr. Norris was born November 2, 1885 at Brooklyn, son of E.C. and Rose Pasley Norris. His mother died when he was five and he lived with a grandmother in Carroll, moving to Tama when he was 10 with his father and step-mother. At 16 he went to South Dakota where he did some painting. He later returned to Iowa to work for the Chicago Northwestern railroad out of Belle Plaine as a fireman. Then he joined the Milwaukee Railroad where he worked with an engine crew out of South Dakota.

December 8, 1906 he married Theresa Donaldson of Toledo and they lived in South Dakota for a year before returning to Toledo where he operated a restaurant and then a tailor shop. During World War I he was a clothing inspector for the U.S. Army's quartermaster corps.

From 1920 until his retirement in 1968 he served this area as a painting contractor. He served on the Toledo city council for 15 years. He was a member of the Toledo Lion's Club and earned the nickname, "Chili King." He was a 50 year member of I.O.O.F.

While Mr. Norris served on the council he did much to improve the appearance of Woodlawn cemetery. Mr. Norris remarked during his later years that he as proud of this contribution to the city and its people.

Mr. Norris was enterprising and in 1946 raised hogs on the former fairgrounds. In 1954 he sold 40 acres to the Pioneer Seed Co., and the house on the land was later razed.

His wife died in 1958 and he moved, in recent years, to the apartment above the House of Beauty. A daughter, Mrs. Emil Lacina died in 1965. He spent most of his week ends with his daughter, Mrs. Franz (Marjory) Sieck at Marion, who survives. Other survivors are four grandchildren, John and Dixie Lacina, Mrs. Roger Whaley of Seattle, Wash., and Jim Sieck, seven great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; a sister, Mrs. August (Zealous) Mergele of Grand Rapids, Minn.

Preceding him in death in addition to his wife and daughter, Mrs. Lacina, was a daughter in infancy, three brothers and a sister.