Norma Arlene Anderson

About Norma

Norma Anderson, 94, died Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Beehive Homes in Lakeville, MN.

Norma Arlene Stanbra Anderson was born August 26, 1930, in Breckenridge, MN to Harry Isaac and Hazel Elaine Stanbra. After high school, while employed at Wehling’s Ice Cream & Soda Shop, she was set up with a blind date by her best friend and met ‘Donnie’ – who would become the love of her life! On April 9, 1950, they were married in Breckenridge. They made their first home in Langdon, ND where four of their five children were born and happily lived in the bliss of what had to be one of the greatest neighborhoods in 1950’s America!

Don’s career eventually led them to Bemidji, MN where he became the Manager of Beltrami Electric Cooperative. As great as that was, the real highlight for the Anderson family that year was the addition of their fifth child, born just 11 days after the move to Minnesota in 1964.

Norma was a self-proclaimed ‘tom-boy’ growing up – she loved to ride the pigs in the stockyards, and rode her bike to the river to catch bullheads and even cleaned her own catch. In later years, she would fish any chance she got. She was the captain of her Intramural basketball team in high school. After marriage, she loved to bowl and golf with her girlfriends and was on a bowling league for many years. A favorite hobby was knitting and her beautiful dish cloths won blue ribbons at the county fair. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother to her growing family of 14 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. All of her grandchildren have many happy memories of time spent with Grandma – coloring, doing jigsaw puzzles, going for walks and looking for ‘heads-up’ pennies for good luck, playing ‘sliders’ at the kitchen table, watching her favorite TV shows with her (The Price Is Right, Andy Griffith, and Everybody Loves Raymond), playing with the vintage toys in the big red toybox, baking/eating her famous chocolate chip cookies, and the favorite “who’s taller than Grandma” measuring that happened at every visit!

A highlight of her golden years was volunteering at the Senior Center in Bemidji where she spent time every week with many dear friends making greeting cards, doing puzzles, and helping with meals.

Norma is survived by her five children, Tom (Sally) Anderson, Dave (Roberta) Anderson, Dianne Anderson, Donna Howe, and Tim (Christy) Anderson; 14 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; sisters Dorie Stanley and Harriet (Brian) Turner, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Don, parents, twin sister Noreen, twin brothers Lynn and Lyle, oldest brother Bud, and sister Mary.

memorial service

Funeral Services for Norma

November 16, 2024

Cease Family Funeral Home 2807 Irvine Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601, USA

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Bemidji, MN.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Cease Family Funeral Home