Norma Boyce
April 8, 1924 — October 6, 2010
Norma Boyce
Norma E. Boyce, age 86, of Duluth, formerly of Parkers Prairie, died Wednesday October 6, 2010, under hospice care at the Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center in Duluth.
Norma Ellen Nelson was born on April 8, 1924, in Fertile, Minnesota to Nels and Ida (Morvig) Nelson. She grew up on a farm in Garfield Township, attended rural school and in 1941, graduated from Fertile High School. She was active in 4-H and numerous school activities. In 1942, she attended teachers training at Normal School in Thief River Falls. From 1943-46, she served as a rural school teacher in the Fertile and Rindahl areas. She taught 8 month terms at Tarpin District 56 and Whalin District 101. During the summers of 1944-1945, she worked as a waitress and was on the staff at Park Avenue Apartments in Minneapolis. She met Ned Boyce at the 1942, Minnesota State Fair during the time she demonstrated bread making. Following WWII she married Ned on August 31, 1946, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Fertile. They lived in rural Trimont in southern Minnesota, where they farmed with Ned's parents. They built their first home on this farm. From 1946-1948, she taught 9 month terms at District 88 rural school in Galena Township. On election day 1956, they moved to a farm in Effington Township near Parkers Prairie. In 1972, they sold the farm and built a home on Horsehead Lake just east of Parkers Prairie. Norma was an active member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, as a Sunday school teacher and was involved in numerous church activities. She returned to teaching as a teacher's aide in the Parkers Prairie Elementary School. She was a member and leader of the Rural Letter Carriers Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, Extension Homemakers Group, and served as a 4-H Club leader for over 25 years. Norma and Ned started the Green Clover 4-H Club in Effington Township in 1959. Norma and Ned traveled around the U.S. and Canada in their Honey-Home motor home to attend Rural Letter Carrier Conventions, family reunions and to visit friends and family. Norma was a wonderful homemaker. She cooked, sewed, baked, managed a household, raised a family and knew how to take care of farm animals. She tended large gardens. She made prize winning jams, jellies and breads. Norma, like her mother, taught lefse-making. We remember her applesauce cake, lemon bars, pineapple upside-down cake and angel food cake topped with fresh berries. She loved watching the myriad of birds that frequented their feeders. She was a gracious host. The door was always open for friends, neighbors, relatives, the family pets and strangers. She made everyone feel welcome.
She is survived by her five children; Dan (Marlene) of East Grand Forks, Dale (Christine) of Milwaukee, Kim (Laurie) of Robbinsdale, Mark (Sherry) of Duluth and Kari (Andrea) of Oklahoma City; nine grandchildren; Megan and Bradley Boyce, Nick and Tony Beaumonte, Brady and Kelsey Boyce, and Kaitlin (Matti) Erpestad, Jacob and Hilary Boyce, and five great-grandchildren; sister, Edith Rocker of Ada; and brother, Robert (Shirley) Nelson of Fertile.
She was preceded in death by her husband, one brother, two sisters and two infant brothers.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, October 16, 2010, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Parkers Prairie with Rev. Jonathan Sorum officiating. Music will be provided by organist, Julie Lindgren. Burial will be at the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in rural Parkers Prairie.
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Friday with a 7:30 p.m., prayer service at the Lind Family Funeral Home in Parkers Prairie. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorials to the Minnesota State 4-H Foundation, 200 Oak Street S.E., Suite 270B, Mpls., MN 55455.
Norma Ellen Nelson was born on April 8, 1924, in Fertile, Minnesota to Nels and Ida (Morvig) Nelson. She grew up on a farm in Garfield Township, attended rural school and in 1941, graduated from Fertile High School. She was active in 4-H and numerous school activities. In 1942, she attended teachers training at Normal School in Thief River Falls. From 1943-46, she served as a rural school teacher in the Fertile and Rindahl areas. She taught 8 month terms at Tarpin District 56 and Whalin District 101. During the summers of 1944-1945, she worked as a waitress and was on the staff at Park Avenue Apartments in Minneapolis. She met Ned Boyce at the 1942, Minnesota State Fair during the time she demonstrated bread making. Following WWII she married Ned on August 31, 1946, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Fertile. They lived in rural Trimont in southern Minnesota, where they farmed with Ned's parents. They built their first home on this farm. From 1946-1948, she taught 9 month terms at District 88 rural school in Galena Township. On election day 1956, they moved to a farm in Effington Township near Parkers Prairie. In 1972, they sold the farm and built a home on Horsehead Lake just east of Parkers Prairie. Norma was an active member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, as a Sunday school teacher and was involved in numerous church activities. She returned to teaching as a teacher's aide in the Parkers Prairie Elementary School. She was a member and leader of the Rural Letter Carriers Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, Extension Homemakers Group, and served as a 4-H Club leader for over 25 years. Norma and Ned started the Green Clover 4-H Club in Effington Township in 1959. Norma and Ned traveled around the U.S. and Canada in their Honey-Home motor home to attend Rural Letter Carrier Conventions, family reunions and to visit friends and family. Norma was a wonderful homemaker. She cooked, sewed, baked, managed a household, raised a family and knew how to take care of farm animals. She tended large gardens. She made prize winning jams, jellies and breads. Norma, like her mother, taught lefse-making. We remember her applesauce cake, lemon bars, pineapple upside-down cake and angel food cake topped with fresh berries. She loved watching the myriad of birds that frequented their feeders. She was a gracious host. The door was always open for friends, neighbors, relatives, the family pets and strangers. She made everyone feel welcome.
She is survived by her five children; Dan (Marlene) of East Grand Forks, Dale (Christine) of Milwaukee, Kim (Laurie) of Robbinsdale, Mark (Sherry) of Duluth and Kari (Andrea) of Oklahoma City; nine grandchildren; Megan and Bradley Boyce, Nick and Tony Beaumonte, Brady and Kelsey Boyce, and Kaitlin (Matti) Erpestad, Jacob and Hilary Boyce, and five great-grandchildren; sister, Edith Rocker of Ada; and brother, Robert (Shirley) Nelson of Fertile.
She was preceded in death by her husband, one brother, two sisters and two infant brothers.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, October 16, 2010, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Parkers Prairie with Rev. Jonathan Sorum officiating. Music will be provided by organist, Julie Lindgren. Burial will be at the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in rural Parkers Prairie.
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Friday with a 7:30 p.m., prayer service at the Lind Family Funeral Home in Parkers Prairie. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorials to the Minnesota State 4-H Foundation, 200 Oak Street S.E., Suite 270B, Mpls., MN 55455.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Norma Boyce, please visit our flower store.
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