A memorial service for Norma D. Richard, 92, of Estherville, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, with Pastor Tim Johnson and Pastor Doug Burton officiating. Interment will be at East Side Memorial Cemetery, Estherville. She passed away on Sept. 15, 2024, at Good Samaritan Society in Estherville.
Visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel in Estherville.
Memorials may be given in Norma’s name to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.
Norma Darlene Richard, daughter of Glenn and Blanche (Olson) Young, was born on March 13, 1932, in Wallingford, Iowa. Norma grew up on a farm on the shores of High Lake. She went to country school and grew up in a nearly all Norwegian neighborhood. The family was very active in the Lutheran church in Wallingford.
Norma attended Estherville High School where she played alto clarinet in the band. She was also active in 4-H as well as other school activities. Living east of Wallingford limited her social life somewhat, but she enjoyed roller skating whenever she could. Upon graduation in 1949, she attended Waldorf Junior College for a year before following her older sister Marge to Minneapolis to work as a secretary. She then started dating her future husband.
She was united in marriage to Wayne Richard in Wallingford, Iowa, on December 16, 1951. They made their home on a farm east of Wallingford before moving to a farm northeast of Estherville.
They raised three children on that farm, all five years apart. The couple farmed their entire lives until moving to Homestead in 2010. They spent summers fishing and winter in Texas until Norma developed Myasthenia Gravis which slowly ate away at her health. She then became a resident of Good Samaritan Society in 2018. Norma was always a devoted wife, mother and Christian to the very end.
In later years, she enjoyed the friend’s trip in the fall. Norma was involved in the community as a girl scout and cub scout leader, 4-H leader, several church groups, home economic advisor group and helping judges at the Emmet County Fair. Norma was always involved with all the groups her children were in.
Norma is survived by her children, Russell (Shari) Richard, Susan (Dan) Nelsen, and Becky (Mike) Tow; 8 grandchildren: Stephanie Richard, Keith (Erica) Richard, Andy (Betsy) Lown, Morgan (Thomas) Kucala, Kaitlin (Dalton) Martinson, Samuel (Brooke) Tow, Timothy (Jackie) Tow, Thomas Tow; and 9 great-grandchildren.
Norma is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Wayne, her sisters Lorene Krier and Marjorie Maronde, and her brothers Stan, Dale and Claire Young.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.henryolsonfuneral.com.
