Norma Stringfield, age 89 of Rock Rapids, IA died on Monday, February 17, 2014 at Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Rock Rapids.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 19th at United Methodist Church in Rock Rapids, IA.
Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids, IA.
Visitation will be from 12:00 noon until the hour of service on Wednesday at United Methodist Church in Rock Rapids.
For a complete obituary and online registry please visit: www.jurrensfuneralhome.com
Norma (Haaheim) Stringfield was born in Mason City, IA on September 4, 1926 the daughter of Mikal and Edith (Gillam) Haaheim. Norma attended and graduated from Mason City High School in 1944. Moving to Chickasha, Oklahoma she attended Oklahoma University for Women. She completed her studies with a BS in Education at the University of Houston.
On September 28, 1946, Norma was united in marriage to Travis Stringfield and together they raised two children, James “Jim” Stringfield and Susan “Suzi” Stringfield Denis. Beginning her teaching career in Angleton, TX Norma taught second grade for four years. In 1957 the family moved to Mason City, IA where she continued teaching second grade for another three years. The family settled in Rock Rapids in 1960. Norma initially taught second grade and following that taught remedial reading for the next 26 years. She was highly successful in supporting students and fellow teachers in the Central Lyon Remedial Reading Program. Throughout her career in education Norma continued to devote herself to becoming knowledgeable in all aspects of teaching reading. She accumulated 48 hours of graduate courses in teaching reading. In addition, she dedicated many hours of personal time to creating educational tools to promote reading success for students. Her greatest passion was in helping students overcome reading struggles and to continue on to be successful in their lives. One of her greatest loves was to look for her students’ names on honor rolls and to see their names on a graduation list.
Norma was a lifetime member of the National Education Association. She also belonged to the National Association of Elementary Teachers, the NW Iowa Reading Council, the Iowa Reading Council and PTA. In 1978, she joined the Alpha Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women teachers. She was also a member of the United Methodist Church in Rock Rapids.
Norma spent many years of her life supporting her husband Travis’s community service endeavors. She loved to travel and enjoyed a few years of rock hunting with Travis and friends. Norma will be remembered for her love of children, her passion for education, and her love and devotion to Travis.
She is survived by two children, Jim and his wife, Cathy Stringfield of New Richland, MN and Suzi and her husband Bob Denis of Astatula, FL; five grandchildren and six great granddaughters and one great grandson and her brother, John (Adean) Haaheim of Sun City, AZ
Norma was preceded in death by her parents, Mikal and Edith Haaheim; and husband Travis.
In Lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.
