S. Norma Norton OSB

S. Norma Norton OSB, age 95, died on Friday, April 17, 2026. A wake service will be held at 7:00 PM on Friday, April 24, 2026 and the Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 25, 2026, both in Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel in Yankton, South Dakota. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton.

Norma was born in St. Louis, Illinois, on November 15, 1930, to Harry and Matilda (Reiser) Norton. She was the second of four daughters who later called Grand Island, Nebraska, home. She experienced the loss of a loved one early in her life. Her older sister, Louise, died when Norma was nine years old, and at fifteen, her father died of cancer, leaving her to care for her mother and sisters. She quit school at sixteen and got a job at F.W. Woolworth. Her second job was with a Credit Bureau, and in 1956, she landed a job with Dial Finance Company in Omaha. She was transferred to Denver, Des Moines, and finally back to Grand Island in April 1974 to care for her mother.

Norma was baptized in the Lutheran faith on November 24, 1935. Learning that her father’s family had Catholic roots, she wanted to join the Catholic Church. After exploring the Catholic faith, she joined the church in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 20, 1971. Norma entered Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota, in August 1981, became a novice in August 1982, and made first profession on August 5, 1983. S. Norma was able to continue her education during her first years in the community and graduated from Mount Marty College with an Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion, English, and Pastoral Care. She also took four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls. She returned to Yankton to minister at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital until she was asked to be the Director of Chaplaincy at McKennan. In 1998, she moved on to St. Anthony’s Hospital in O’Neill, Nebraska, where she wore many hats. She served in Pastoral Care, Mission Effectiveness, Public Relations, and Marketing. When she retired to the monastery, she continued her pastoral care with the sisters in the monastery care center.

S. Norma was a kind and resourceful person who liked to be busy with many things. She had many hobbies, including reading, golf, and gardening. She loved being outdoors in nature and had a passion for growing things. Every winter, she suffered from “spring fever” until she could garden once more. She enjoyed cooking and baking and collected recipes to try. She was devoted to her family and enjoyed travelling to visit them.

S. Norma is survived by her Benedictine sisters and her nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters: Louise Norton, Gloria Sebold, and Catherine Ogden.