Norma Friederich

Norma Friederich died peacefully at Comfort House Hospice in Pella, Iowa on July 20, 2016. She was born Norma Mae Kuhlman on October 3, 1930 to Alfred and Mabel (Windfield) Kuhlman near Chapman, Nebraska. She delighted and enlightened her children and grandchildren over the years with many stories about growing up on a farm in the '30s and about the Windfield and Kuhlman families. Norma attended a one room school house that was about 2 miles from the farm. She graduated from Chapman High School and headed to Washington DC with her sister Delma (Stelk) and a friend. They worked as secretaries at the Pentagon. In January of 1951 Norma married James M. Friederich of Grand Island, Nebraska. Their first home was in Omaha. Over the next five years, Norma and Jay lived in several towns across Nebraska and Iowa as Jay helped get a shoe store chain set up. In 1959, they ended up in Sumner where they became co-owners of the Sumner Variety Store. Besides helping run the dime store, Norma was also a switchboard operator, a secretary for a trucking company, the office manager for an engineering firm, worked in an accounting office and raised four kids. In the mid 70's Norma and Jay owned and operated Jay's Cafe, formerly known as "Pollow's Parlor" and more recently known as "TJ's". Norma and Jay enjoyed bowling, playing Bridge and square dancing (which was appropriate since they met at a dance!!) Wedding dances or attending dances on the weekends were a common occurrence. Norma and Jay moved to State Center, Iowa in the '80s where they built their 2nd house from scratch. They turned the bare earth on a very young Christmas tree farm into a beautiful acreage with several flower gardens that became home to perennials started from various family homesteads. Norma was known as an avid gardener, a bird watcher and all around nature lover. She spent many hours with her grandkids teaching them skills like "skipping stones" in the creek. She also enjoyed reading...outloud with great animation for the kids, or thoughtful historical type books to herself. Norma was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, and her husband as well as many other friends and family. She will remain in the memories of her children, Jan (Carl) Bethmann, Palm City, Florida; John (Barb) Friederich, Monroe, Iowa; Julie (Robert) Waltz, Winterset, Iowa; and Joel (Lee) Friederich of Sarona, Wisconsin. Her eleven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren, whom are scattered across the country, will have many memories and lessons to remember from Grandma, Grams, Grammie Norma. Following Norma's wishes, a private memorial service will be held on the banks of the Wood River in central Nebraska, near her birthplace. Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown is handling the arrangements.