- Date Of Birth: October 21, 1931
- Date Of Death: January 21, 2022
- State: Iowa
Norman was born on October 21, 1931 at the family farm near Manson, Iowa, the son of George and Grace (Peters) Thoel. He grew up riding horses on the farm and trained his favorite horse, Lady, to do tricks. He graduated in 1949 from Manson High School and started to work on the family farm. On June 18, 1950 he married his high school sweetheart, Betty, at St.
In 1970, they demolished the century old farm house and built a new home. He continued to be a handyman for his children on their homes. During the winters, they traveled with friends to Europe, Hawaii and took Caribbean cruises. In 1994, they decided to spend the winters in Mesa, Arizona and play cards with friends from the Midwest. While in Arizona, Norman took up woodcarving as a hobby and enjoyed attending the annual Arabian Horse Show.
Norman is survived by his children, Dale and David of Manson, Diane Abens and Deb Neumann of Peoria, Arizona; 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren; his sister-in-law Julia Thoel; and his brother-in-law, Arnold Smith. He was preceded in death by his wife Betty; his brother Delmar, his sister Geraldine Smith; and his daughter-in-law Carol Thoel.
