Barbara M. Norman

Barbara “Barb” M. Norman (nee Pichler), 93, of Grafton (formerly of Cedarburg) returned to her Heavenly Home on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

She was born on June 3, 1931, to the late Otto and Mary (nee Bartl) Pichler in Wauwatosa, WI.

If Barbara’s life could be summed up in one word, it would be “service”, as she spent most of her life and was happiest when nurturing other people. Having lost her mother at the age of 5, by the time she was 11 she was taking care of her father, her brother and her sister (and any stray animals they brought home), cleaning, cooking, and doing the laundry. She continued to care for her father after she married and had children, bringing him along with the family to live with them when they moved to Cedarburg. When her kids grew up, she and Jack gave two little boys the first real home they ever had as their foster parents. She also regularly “grandma-sat” many of her grandchildren while their parents went to work, sacrificing her time for these little people well into her 70s. Her family was her greatest pride and joy, and she would have probably loved it if she could have had all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren come to live with her, all in the same house.

Barbara belonged to many Lutheran congregations over the years in the various places she lived, First Immanuel Lutheran becoming her final church home in 1974. In each of these congregations, she served as a member of the Alter Guild, the LWML, and most special to her heart, the church choir, for many years. She hosted a weekly Bible class group in her home and contributed countless meals to the Share-a-Meal program. Outside of the church, but inspired by her need to help others, she volunteered for “Dial Now” – a mental health hotline that existed in the ‘80s.

Even Barb’s hobbies combined her love of creating beautiful things with service to others. She was an avid seamstress and could sew anything from custom living room curtains to a beautiful bridesmaid’s dress with ease, and this led her to sew banners for the church that still hang in the sanctuary today. She loved doing ceramics, and after purchasing not one but two kilns, she opened her home to friends who came for weekly ceramics classes. Never on the telephone without a pencil in her hand, she constantly sketched and doodled on anything that happened to be lying around – the back of an envelope, a child’s permission slip, a bill…they were all fair game for her signature “outhouse” pictures.

Her generosity of spirit made her service-minded, but Barb was also the most optimistic person ever born. The Green Bay Packers could be down by 28 points with 30 seconds to go in the game, and she would say, “They can still win!” If she was looking for a certain something in a store, she would spend hours searching for it, refusing to believe it just wasn’t available. Barb never had a thought of giving up – if she wanted something to happen, she was going to make it happen. Because of this, it was difficult for her to relinquish her role as the “helper” and accept being the person who needed help as she grew older. Her servant’s heart could only be stopped when her physical heart ceased beating.

Those Barb leaves behind to cherish her memory include her four children, Patricia Jensen, John (Karen) Norman Jr., Sue (John) Valko, and Jane (Joe) Lepold; daughter-in-law, Margaret Norman; 12 grandchildren, Michelle Jensen, Erik Norman, Mark (Carrie) Jensen, Jason (Marsha) Hanson, Melissa (Colin) Choby, Angela White, Joshua Norman, Rachel (Dan) Madsen, Kathryn (Aaron) Fields, John “Jack” Norman III, Samantha (Alex) Chapman, and Victoria Lepold; 18 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband John “Jack” Norman; brother, Theodore (Gerri)Pichler; sister, Jane (George) Lawrence; a son, Michael Norman; son-in-law Lawrence Jensen; granddaughter, Laurie Ann Jensen, grandson Joseph Lepold, Jr.; and great-granddaughter Emery Fields.

VISITATION: The family will greet relatives and friends on Friday. April 25, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. at First Immanuel Church, W67N622 Evergreen Blvd., Cedarburg.

SERVICE: A Memorial service in remembrance of Barbara will be at the church at 5:00 p.m. Burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to First Immanuel Lutheran Church Guardian Angel Fund, or another charity of your choice.

The family would like to thank the staff of Village Pointe Commons for their care and concern for Barbara while she lived there, as well as the doctors and nurses at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, who provided excellent care and comfort for Barbara in her final hours.