Norma June (Ransom) Vineyard

Norma June Ransom was born June 6, 1933 to Howard Edward and Hazel Ellen (Martin) Ransom in Hastings.  Norma always had many friends and was at the center of her family.  On June 16, 1951 she married the love of her life, Francis Eugene Vineyard.  As it was in the 1950s, Norma was a housewife and mother.  She was always creative, sewing clothing for her daughters and taking a ceramics class to make unique items for the home.  But more than that, Norma was a pioneer.  On April 26, 1960 she broke out of the mold and took a job as a telephone operator for Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph Co. (LT&T), a job that turned into a career of 25+ years.  She did this while continuing all family obligations of being a faithful wife and mother.  When LT&T in Hastings closed its long-distance operations, Norma made the difficult decision to transfer to Lincoln, taking an apartment there while continuing to maintain her home in Hastings.  She did this until her retirement on November 24, 1985.

These days, we call people like Norma, Super-Moms…. And that is what she was.  Always keeping a tidy home, she continued her creative skills, taking painting classes, painting on canvas, sewing and painting crafts of all sorts, and participating with her daughters in craft shows for many years.  But Norma was also the cornerstone of her family.  She supported her parents as well as her in-laws during their elderly years, visiting them and caring for their needs.

She loved her husband Francis, dearly, and supported his interests as well.  Together, they enjoyed many fishing trips as well as their cabin on Jeffrey Lake for many years.

Norma passed away on July 14, 2023, leaving the following family members to mourn her.

Surviving her are her loving husband Francis, daughters Gail Christine (Darrel) Schmidt and Susan Kay (Joe) Garcia, of Lincoln; Nancy Ellen (Gary) Wittstruck of Bonham Texas; and Leslie Anne (Randy) Lemke of Lawrence Nebraska; brother Howard Leslie (Karen) Ransom of Hastings; sisters Marjorie Ellen Adams and Marian Inez Tritch, both of Lincoln; 9 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.  She was preceded in her death by her parents.

Memorial Service is 11:00am, Friday, July 21, 2023, at the All Saints Chapel at Good Samaritan Society in Hastings with Pastor Kurt Coleman officiating. Inurnment will be in Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. DeWitt Funeral Home and Cremation Service is assisting with arrangements.

Memorials may be directed to Tabitha Hospice at www.tabitha.org or St. Jude at www.stjude.org.

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