Norma Poppe

Norma Poppe, 81, Fairmount, ND passed away on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at Sanford Palliative Care, Fargo, ND. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 6, at 2:00 PM at the Fairmount Community Center, Fairmount, ND with Pastor Fern Bailey officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Arrangements are entrusted to Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton, ND. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Roger Maris Cancer Center or the Fairmount United Methodist Church.

Norma was born on the Kurtz family farm south of Fairmount, ND on August 23, 1932 to Richard and Dorothy (Bassett) Kurtz. She attended school in Fairmount and graduated from Fairmount High School in 1950. She then attended NDSSS for one year.

Norma was united in marriage to Julian "Keith" Poppe on December 31, 1950 at the Fairmount United Methodist Church. They lived in Wahpeton until 1957 when they moved to Fairmount. In 1967, they moved to the farm north of Fairmount. Also in 1967, she was hired as the school secretary for Fairmount Public Schools. There she worked for 34 years and was the jack of all trades in the office seeing the joys of losing a first tooth, or other students falling in love for the first time, chasing boys, hating girls, or graduating from high school. She retired in 2001 and continued to live on the farm after Keith passed away on September 19, 1995.

Norma was a very active member of the Fairmount United Methodist Church where she served in many capacities. She enjoyed bird watching, reading, and flower gardening. Family was always first with Norma, and she always enjoyed being with and taking care of her great-granddaughter Adie. Fairmount has been Norma's home for nearly all her life. She was born there, graduated from there, and settled with her family there. Her family, church and social functions all centered around Fairmount.

Norma is survived by her son, Lee (Collene) Poppe, Springfield, MO; her daughter, Jana (Doug) Neumiller, Medina, ND; her grandchildren, Curtis (Amanda) Mosher, Fairmount, ND, Stephanie (Steven) Maples, Springfield, MO; her great-granddaughter, Adie Mosher; her sisters, Myrna Burlison, Breckenridge, MN, Marcia (Loydale) Krause, Breckenridge, MN; her special "twin sister" cousin, Beryl Naggatz, Fairmount, ND; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Keith, her two brothers, Robert and Allan Kurtz, and her granddaughter, Christy Mosher.