Norma Jane Daniels was born October 9, 1924 at Cimarron, Kansas. The place was the McFarland grandparent’s home in the west part of town. Her parents were Wilmer “Tude” Rowton and Lydia McFarland Rowton. In 1926, they moved to the farm located 2 miles west and 2 miles north of Kalvesta, KS.
She started school when she was 6 years old and her first teacher was the well known “Abe Huebert” in the Kalvesta school District #29. There were only five students in her class. She was 12 years old when she attended Garden City Jr High. She and her mother, Lydia lived in an apartment in Garden City while Norma attended Jr High and High School. She enjoyed music and band and especially history classes and graduated from Garden City High School in 1941. She continued her education at Fort Hays State University and graduated in 1945 at age 20 with a degree in History and a minor in Political Science.
After graduation, she signed a contract with Stockton High School in Stockton, KS to teach American History and Government. She met her future husband, Bill Daniels (who had just been released from the Marine Corps) at a skating rink in Woodston, KS. They skated together just one time that evening. Bill called her the next day to go on a date; rabbit hunting on a Sunday afternoon. They later were engaged and were married June 21, 1946 at the Stockton Methodist Church. They moved to the farm in Kalvesta in 1947 and remained there until 1986. They raised wheat, cattle and 6 children.
Norma and Bill moved to Dodge City in 1986. Bill passed away June 13,
2003 and Norma remained in Dodge City until a recent move to the
Cimarron Shepard Center July 1, 2020. She passed away October 1, 2020
just 8 days from celebrating her 96th birthday.
Norma was a member of
the Kalvesta United Methodist Church, Kansas Genealogical Society,
National Genealogical Society and the Daughters of the American
Revolution. She was an avid reader of books, many times reading 2-3
books at a time. She enjoyed researching family history on her computer.
Other hobbies included Knitting and needlepoint. She was very proud of
her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She would share
pictures of them with everyone that visited her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilmer and Lydia Rowton,
her husband, Bill of almost 57 years, and a son, Michael Dean.
Norma
is survived by her 6 children; Mary Johnson of Lawrence, KS, Teresa
Walters and spouse Larry of Fishers, IN, John Daniels and spouse Gail of
Lawrence, KS, Joel Daniels and spouse Becky of Cimarron, KS, James
Daniels of Lawrence, KS and Jeffrey Daniels and spouse Paula of Hawaiian
Gardens, CA. 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.
The memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 10,
2020 at the First Christian Church in Cimarron, KS with Pastor David
Johnson officiating. The service will be viewable via Facebook live at www.facebook.com/cimarronfirstchristianchurch/ . Inurnment will follow in the Cimarron Cemetery. There will be no public viewing, cremation has taken place.
The
family suggests memorials to the Dodge City Public Library or the
Kalvesta United Methodist Church both in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel,
P.O. Box 446, Cimarron, Kansas 67835.