Norma Elaine Price
August 25, 1931 — March 29, 2019
Norma Elaine Price was born on August 25, 1931, in Lewis, IA., to Cleve and Ethel (Wiechert) Billings. She was the second youngest of ten children born to the Billings family.
Norma spent her childhood working on the family farm, tending to livestock, and their large family gardens that were planted to feed Cleve and Ethel's growing family during the Great Depression years of the 1930's and the rationing days of World War II. While her older brothers were off serving their country Norma grew up fast, taking on many responsibilities around the farm that were traditionally those of the men. Besides serving a key role in the farm operation, Norma often hired out to neighbors during corn detasseling season and she ran her own cream route on the side.
Suffering from poor eyesight, she used cream route money to buy her first set of glasses as a teenager. Norma and her brother Lloyd "Poncho" rented a projector from the Atlantic theater and showed movies in the Lewis City Park in the summer, charging the other kids a nickel a show. She didn't have much free time as a youth, but she did enjoy lazy Sunday afternoons lying on her back in hay wagons, watching clouds go by and singing to herself. She later told Nancy those afternoons were the first times that she dreamed of living in California. One of those Sunday afternoons Norma and her brothers and sisters asked their father if they could have some popcorn between meals and when they were told no the children decided to pop their own corn on a bottle lid in their straw chicken coop. Well of course the chicken coop caught on fire and was destroyed with everyone in trouble. Norma and her sisters enjoyed taking occasional Saturday bus trips from Atlantic to Shenandoah, where they toured the Earl May trial gardens and the radio stations and attended preteen Everly Brothers matinee shows at the local theater. While still in high school she also worked as a waitress at Tiny's Truckstop, which was located along busy Highway 6 just west of Lewis.
Norma graduated as valedictorian of her graduating class at Lewis in the spring of 1948. She and her sister, Margaret, then decided to have their own restaurant. They opened M & N's Cafe in Lewis and ran it together during the 1950's. The cafe was where Norma met the love of her life, Walter (Bud) Price. Bud owned and operated a dump truck and he often worked in management at rock crusher plants. He spent a lot of his time on the road and eating his meals in diners. Bud stopped in for a meal at M & N's and that's where he found his future wife and life-long partner. Norma would often tell the story about how Bud first got her attention. Sitting at the other end of the counter, he started stacking pop bottles and the end result definitely got her attention, from all the noise that his efforts generated. After a short courtship they married in October of 1956 and moved to Cedar Rapids, IA., where Norma worked for Collins Radio on government contracts, installing wiring apparatuses in war planes, while Bud ran a local rock crusher plant and drove truck. Norma and Bud eventually returned to Lewis where Bud continued to run his own dump truck business, adding a second truck.
In July of 1958 they became the parents of their only son, Richard. In August of 1960 their only daughter, Nancy, was born. In 1962 Bud was disabled for the remainder of his life as a result of a driver turning into his lane at an intersection and colliding head-on with his vehicle. The accident thrust Norma back into the work force in the small Lewis community where she did various jobs to feed and clothe her family. Bud and Norma relocated to Avoca in 1967 to be closer to his doctors in Omaha. As the sole supporter of her family Norma worked various jobs in Avoca. She sold shoes, operated a cleaning business, and cooked at The Sportsmans Cafe. In those days Norma walked to all of her jobs in town. The longest walk was from her family's home on the south side to the Mobil gas station at the Avoca exit on I-80.
Norma was extremely talented and very crafty. She created numerous costumes worn by Rich and Nancy for the children's parades in Avoca, often with prize-winning results. For the Children's parade in 1969 Norma dressed Nancy as Father Time, in bib overalls and a cotton ball beard, with nine-year old Richard dressed in a big diaper as "Avoca, Still A Baby". Nancy was runner-up in the Avoca Centennial dress contest that year, proudly wearing a hand-made dress and a colorful bonnet that Norma crafted out of a simple plastic bleach bottle. Norma and Nancy worked on many crafts projects together over the years, often giving away their creations to others. She also had a great imagination for making her own Christmas ornaments and outside decorations. One particular Christmas, when money was scarce, Norma made a beautiful doll bed for her daughter out of a peach crate and lathes. She also saved S&H green stamps and often traded cereal box tops for toys and gifts for her children. Norma always faced the world with a smile and she had a steadfast resolve to never let obstacles stand in her way of accomplishing her end goals.
She stressed the importance of a good education and told her children that its each generation's responsibility to leave the world in a better place than they find it and to never judge others, always tell the truth, and to never give up. Her love for traditional country and western, swing, and big band music was passed on to her children, with her sheet music collection used by her son to learn to read music before he started school. She also budgeted the tight family budget so her son could take guitar lessons from Lyle Neve at Hancock every Monday night for five years. Norma had an opportunity to pursue a kitchen staff position at a nursing home in Harlan in the early 1970's. This job change was the start of a 30-year career in the long term health care industry that saw Norma go from being a dishwasher to becoming the head cook and dietitian in-charge of the facility's kitchen, with a continuing education degree in food service from Iowa State University.
After a decade at the Baptist Rest Home in Harlan Norma became a CMA and worked 20-years at the Shelby County Country Care Facility, where she retired from in 1996. Norma secured her driver's license after Bud passed away in 1984 and she took many road trips to visit Nancy in Omaha, her brothers Lyle "Buck", Lloyd "Poncho", and her niece Claudia "Cookie" Conn in Lewis.
After retirement she lived in Avoca with her son until a health concern arose in 2007. After a month long stint at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs and another month in rehab at Oakland Manor Norma moved to California to live with Nancy, her husband Mark, and her fur grandbabies, their schnauzers. Norma always looked forward to her niece Cookie's daily phone calls. She loved living in California and often took day trips with her children, exploring northern California, the coast, and the mighty redwoods. A fan of the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants, Norma watched all their games on TV and could provide highlights. She also loved wildflowers and her favorite flower was the purple Iris.
Norma passed away on Friday, March 29, 2019 in Fairfield, California, at her daughter’s residence. She attained the age of eighty-seven years, seven months and four days. Norma was proceeded in death by her parents, husband, and all of her brothers and sisters, including: the late Maurice Billings of Treva, Wisconsin; the late Walt Billings of Cumberland, Iowa; the late Lyle, Lloyd, Duane, and Dale Billings of Lewis, Iowa; the late June (Mrs. Harold) Reggennitter of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the late Margaret Billings of Lewis, Iowa; and the late Ruby (Mrs. Edward) McClure of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Norma is survived by her son Richard, and his life partner Julie Marshall of Avoca, Iowa; daughter Nancy & her husband Mark Branson of Fairfield, California; step-grandson Michael Potter of Phoenix, Arizona; step-great-grandson Cameron Potter of Phoenix, Arizona; and niece Claudia "Cookie" Conn of Lewis, Iowa; along with other nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Norma spent her childhood working on the family farm, tending to livestock, and their large family gardens that were planted to feed Cleve and Ethel's growing family during the Great Depression years of the 1930's and the rationing days of World War II. While her older brothers were off serving their country Norma grew up fast, taking on many responsibilities around the farm that were traditionally those of the men. Besides serving a key role in the farm operation, Norma often hired out to neighbors during corn detasseling season and she ran her own cream route on the side.
Suffering from poor eyesight, she used cream route money to buy her first set of glasses as a teenager. Norma and her brother Lloyd "Poncho" rented a projector from the Atlantic theater and showed movies in the Lewis City Park in the summer, charging the other kids a nickel a show. She didn't have much free time as a youth, but she did enjoy lazy Sunday afternoons lying on her back in hay wagons, watching clouds go by and singing to herself. She later told Nancy those afternoons were the first times that she dreamed of living in California. One of those Sunday afternoons Norma and her brothers and sisters asked their father if they could have some popcorn between meals and when they were told no the children decided to pop their own corn on a bottle lid in their straw chicken coop. Well of course the chicken coop caught on fire and was destroyed with everyone in trouble. Norma and her sisters enjoyed taking occasional Saturday bus trips from Atlantic to Shenandoah, where they toured the Earl May trial gardens and the radio stations and attended preteen Everly Brothers matinee shows at the local theater. While still in high school she also worked as a waitress at Tiny's Truckstop, which was located along busy Highway 6 just west of Lewis.
Norma graduated as valedictorian of her graduating class at Lewis in the spring of 1948. She and her sister, Margaret, then decided to have their own restaurant. They opened M & N's Cafe in Lewis and ran it together during the 1950's. The cafe was where Norma met the love of her life, Walter (Bud) Price. Bud owned and operated a dump truck and he often worked in management at rock crusher plants. He spent a lot of his time on the road and eating his meals in diners. Bud stopped in for a meal at M & N's and that's where he found his future wife and life-long partner. Norma would often tell the story about how Bud first got her attention. Sitting at the other end of the counter, he started stacking pop bottles and the end result definitely got her attention, from all the noise that his efforts generated. After a short courtship they married in October of 1956 and moved to Cedar Rapids, IA., where Norma worked for Collins Radio on government contracts, installing wiring apparatuses in war planes, while Bud ran a local rock crusher plant and drove truck. Norma and Bud eventually returned to Lewis where Bud continued to run his own dump truck business, adding a second truck.
In July of 1958 they became the parents of their only son, Richard. In August of 1960 their only daughter, Nancy, was born. In 1962 Bud was disabled for the remainder of his life as a result of a driver turning into his lane at an intersection and colliding head-on with his vehicle. The accident thrust Norma back into the work force in the small Lewis community where she did various jobs to feed and clothe her family. Bud and Norma relocated to Avoca in 1967 to be closer to his doctors in Omaha. As the sole supporter of her family Norma worked various jobs in Avoca. She sold shoes, operated a cleaning business, and cooked at The Sportsmans Cafe. In those days Norma walked to all of her jobs in town. The longest walk was from her family's home on the south side to the Mobil gas station at the Avoca exit on I-80.
Norma was extremely talented and very crafty. She created numerous costumes worn by Rich and Nancy for the children's parades in Avoca, often with prize-winning results. For the Children's parade in 1969 Norma dressed Nancy as Father Time, in bib overalls and a cotton ball beard, with nine-year old Richard dressed in a big diaper as "Avoca, Still A Baby". Nancy was runner-up in the Avoca Centennial dress contest that year, proudly wearing a hand-made dress and a colorful bonnet that Norma crafted out of a simple plastic bleach bottle. Norma and Nancy worked on many crafts projects together over the years, often giving away their creations to others. She also had a great imagination for making her own Christmas ornaments and outside decorations. One particular Christmas, when money was scarce, Norma made a beautiful doll bed for her daughter out of a peach crate and lathes. She also saved S&H green stamps and often traded cereal box tops for toys and gifts for her children. Norma always faced the world with a smile and she had a steadfast resolve to never let obstacles stand in her way of accomplishing her end goals.
She stressed the importance of a good education and told her children that its each generation's responsibility to leave the world in a better place than they find it and to never judge others, always tell the truth, and to never give up. Her love for traditional country and western, swing, and big band music was passed on to her children, with her sheet music collection used by her son to learn to read music before he started school. She also budgeted the tight family budget so her son could take guitar lessons from Lyle Neve at Hancock every Monday night for five years. Norma had an opportunity to pursue a kitchen staff position at a nursing home in Harlan in the early 1970's. This job change was the start of a 30-year career in the long term health care industry that saw Norma go from being a dishwasher to becoming the head cook and dietitian in-charge of the facility's kitchen, with a continuing education degree in food service from Iowa State University.
After a decade at the Baptist Rest Home in Harlan Norma became a CMA and worked 20-years at the Shelby County Country Care Facility, where she retired from in 1996. Norma secured her driver's license after Bud passed away in 1984 and she took many road trips to visit Nancy in Omaha, her brothers Lyle "Buck", Lloyd "Poncho", and her niece Claudia "Cookie" Conn in Lewis.
After retirement she lived in Avoca with her son until a health concern arose in 2007. After a month long stint at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs and another month in rehab at Oakland Manor Norma moved to California to live with Nancy, her husband Mark, and her fur grandbabies, their schnauzers. Norma always looked forward to her niece Cookie's daily phone calls. She loved living in California and often took day trips with her children, exploring northern California, the coast, and the mighty redwoods. A fan of the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants, Norma watched all their games on TV and could provide highlights. She also loved wildflowers and her favorite flower was the purple Iris.
Norma passed away on Friday, March 29, 2019 in Fairfield, California, at her daughter’s residence. She attained the age of eighty-seven years, seven months and four days. Norma was proceeded in death by her parents, husband, and all of her brothers and sisters, including: the late Maurice Billings of Treva, Wisconsin; the late Walt Billings of Cumberland, Iowa; the late Lyle, Lloyd, Duane, and Dale Billings of Lewis, Iowa; the late June (Mrs. Harold) Reggennitter of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the late Margaret Billings of Lewis, Iowa; and the late Ruby (Mrs. Edward) McClure of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Norma is survived by her son Richard, and his life partner Julie Marshall of Avoca, Iowa; daughter Nancy & her husband Mark Branson of Fairfield, California; step-grandson Michael Potter of Phoenix, Arizona; step-great-grandson Cameron Potter of Phoenix, Arizona; and niece Claudia "Cookie" Conn of Lewis, Iowa; along with other nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
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