Norma Jean Boeck, 74, of Morrison, IL passed away on May 28, 2024, at Homestead Care Facility with her family by her side, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease/Lewy Body Dementia.
Norma was born on September 23, 1949, to Render and Wilhelmina Aggen in Chicago, IL. After Norma graduated as Salutatorian from Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in 1967, she studied Math Education at Central College in Pella, IA. While at Central College, city-girl Norma met farm-boy Dennis Boeck. They married in June of 1971 and went on to have three girls: Heather, Heidi, and Hilary.
Norma Jean worked for a number of years in local School Districts around the area including Newman, Fulton, and Morrison. She utilized her math skills as a Bank Teller, before settling into many years of Bookkeeping for the family car washes. Norma and Denny spent many years running family-owned, Super Wash car washes; Norma could be found doing whatever needed to be done, but always doing the bookwork. Her bookkeeping “realm” in the basement of the Treva Drive house was legendary, for her cassette collection, plentiful snacks (complete with a child’s sippy cup to protect her keyboard), and a spot for Rusty, the beloved dog she thought she never wanted to own.
Norma’s first love was her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who she served faithfully in everything she did, including active participation in child and youth discipleship in every church she attended throughout her adult life.
Her love of God gave her an incredible capacity to love her family. She had no greater joy than family fellowship. She never wanted to miss a moment of board games and party games, jigsaw puzzles and word games, silly songs, Tom Swifties, and keep-it-up (not keep away.) She loved a good sunbathing session and card game. In her prodigious memory lived song lyrics, scripture, stories, and rhymes, equations, theorems, functions, and proofs. The theft of that memory from dementia was a jarring grief to her family. Above all, Norma loved to open the Bible with her children and grandchildren, whether for family devotions at meals or helping a young child learn to experience the power and promise of God’s Word.
We want to bear witness to two things in remembering this life lived well. First of all, we cannot deny the cruelty of dementia that was both a vicious tormenter and a cruel thief. Yet, we also must declare that dementia was no match for the grace and goodness of God. Norma lived and died, thrived and suffered, with the knowledge and experience that her only comfort in life and in death, in sickness and in health, was that she belonged–body and soul–to her Savior Jesus Christ. Her greatest hope would be for all to know that comfort, and because of her life and witness many did.
She is survived by her husband of nearly 53 years, Denny; daughters, Heather (Jeff) McIlrath of Alexandria Bay, NY, Heidi (Lloyd) Wicker of Williamsburg, VA, and Hilary (Jason) McDearmon of Morrison, IL; ten grandchildren, Karissa (Ridge) Hagar, Ian (Delaney) McIlrath, Alethea McIlrath, Elijah McIlrath, Anika Wicker, Andrew Wicker, Kathryn Wicker, Isaiah McDearmon, Joshua McDearmon, and Eliana McDearmon; great-grandson, Rockwell Hagar.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Emmanuel Church Memorial Fund for the purpose of Youth Ministry and Christian Education. Norma’s heart was always for mission and ministry, especially when it came to the youth of her church and community. She would want local youth to have experiences with God through Sunday School, Midweek Ministries, and events/activities like Christian Concerts and Mission Trips.
Her Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at Emmanuel Church in Morrison, IL, with Rev. Luke Schouten officiating.
A Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., on Monday, June 3, 2024, at Emmanuel Church.
Cremation will take place following funeral service.
The Morrison Chapel of the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Interment will be at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison, IL.