Norma Henkenius, age 84, of Arcadia, died Thursday, November 19, 2020 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m., Friday, November 27, 2020 at St. John Catholic Church in Arcadia. The Celebrant will be Fr. Andrew Hoffmann. Con-Celebrant will be Fr. Richard Remmes. Music will be by Sharon Bierl. Lector will be Carli Sibbel. Eucharistic Minister will be Vern Henkenius. Honorary Casket Bearers will be Norma’s granddaughters. Casket Bearers will be Norma’s grandsons’, Tim Sibbel, Cory Henkenius, Jared Henkenius, Brian Ricke, Kyle Ricke, Derrick Henkenius, and Josh Henkenius. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery in Arcadia. Those attending the Funeral Mass are required to wear a face covering and abide by social distancing guidelines. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Norma’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com. Those wishing to send a memorial please direct to, Norma Henkenius Family, c/o Sharp Funeral Home, 226 W. 8 th St, Carroll, Iowa 51401.
A link to the recording of Norma’s service will be available on the Sharp Funeral Home-Carroll YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqd2eeRJk5RTdEJoEooUoAQ. Please allow up to 24 hours from Friday for the recording to appear.
Born on April 3, 1936 at the family’s home in Roselle, Iowa during a snowstorm, Norma Marie was the daughter of Michael and Catherine (Hoffman) Berger. She was baptized at Holy Angels Catholic Church and attended Holy Angels School. After school she would help at people’s homes, worked at the Halbur Creamery, then at Farmers Savings Bank in Halbur.
She met Jerome at the Arcadia Legion Hall where he had stolen her purse and then offered to give her a ride home. Jerome and Norma married on May 30, 1959 at St. Augustine Church in Halbur. They made their home in Arcadia where she was a fulltime homemaker, taking care of her children. Norma was a gifted baker of many things including long johns, cookies, as well as waffles with ice cream for her grandchildren for breakfast. She had a huge garden and shared with many including the nuns. Norma was a member of the St. John Parish Choir and later became the director. She was a member of St. John Parish Ladies Guild, Arcadia American Legion Auxiliary; and was active in the parish in many capacities including as an usher, leading the rosary, singing and director of the parish choir.
Norma enjoyed music of all kinds. She loved to dance and even got Jerome to take lessons with her at the Lakewood Ballroom. Many Sunday afternoons polka music was played on the radio as she danced around the kitchen table with her girls. She enjoyed bus trips, family vacations to Okoboji, Colorado, California, and St. Louis. Norma cheered at many sporting events that her children and grandchildren participated in as well as attending concerts, plays and other school events. She and Jerome enjoyed golfing, Saturday night card groups, going to the casino playing the one arm bandits. She mended a many torn clothing, fixed buttons, and always made sure the laundry was hung on the line to dry.
Left to celebrate her life is her husband Jerome Henkenius of Arcadia; her children: Julie (Mike) Sibbel of Halbur, Darrell (Kerry) Henkenius of Carroll, Dan (Donna) Henkenius of Arcadia, Jaynee (late Ken) Ricke of Arcadia and Jim (Jodi) Henkenius of Lake City; her grandchildren: Kellie, Becky, Tim, Hannah, Carli, Hope, Molly, Audrey, Laura, Cory, Jared, Brian, Kyle, Ashley, Derrick, Emily and Josh; her great-grandchildren: Brayden, Caleb, Alyssa, Harper, Hank, Reese, Cooper, Jacoby, Cain, Oliver, Peyton, Benson and Broden; her sisters, Mary Jane Berger, Pauline Schenkelberg, Dolores Herbers, and Bernadine Heinrichs; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Vern Henkenius, Richard (Cheryl) Henkenius, Dennis (Cathy) Henkenius, Bill (Cheryl) Henkenius, Janet Werts, Jean Elliot, and Gordy Wiebers; as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended relatives.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents; her son-in-law, Ken “Beanie” Ricke; her granddaughter, Chelsey Henkenius; her parents-in-law, Louis and Louise Henkenius; her brother, Arnie (Bernice) Berger; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Cyril Heinrichs, Melvin Herbers, Carl Schenkelberg, Kathie Henkenius, Marlene Wiebers, and Mark Elliot.
