She was born on Dec. 14, 1921, at Walnut to Thomas J. and Celia J. (Reeves) Marnell. She grew up and attended school there and graduated from Walnut High School. She then attended Parsons Junior College and Pittsburg State Teacher’s College. She taught in rural schools from 1940 to 1947.
On Jan. 3, 1946, she married James Kenneth Norris at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Walnut. He preceded her in death on May 16, 2012. They lived and farmed in the rural Walnut area for their entire working life.
She was a former member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Walnut and later St. Francis Catholic Church at St. Paul. She was a member of the Altar Society and the Daughters of Isabella. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary at Walnut and had been president in the past. She was a member of the 8 & 40 at Pittsburg.
She loved cooking, gardening, quilting and crocheting.
Survivors include five sons, Jim Norris and his wife, Charlene, of Walnut, Nick Norris and his wife, Janice, of Grove, Okla., Chris Norris and his wife, Mary Beth, of Girard, Paul Norris and his wife, Vickie, of Pittsburg and Don Norris and his wife, Kim, of Erie; a daughter, Joan Doherty and her husband, Mike, of St. Paul; 20 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and two sisters.
The funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. The rosary was prayed at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the church. The family received friends following the rosary.
Memorials are suggested to Prairie Mission Retirement Village and may be left at the church or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, 67357.
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