Norma Jean Kruse was born on January 26, 1929, in Milford, Iowa to the late Leslie and Iola (Harris) Kinkade. She was baptized in 1944 in Milford and confirmed in the Union Memorial Church in Milford. She received her early education from Milford and Okoboji Country Schools and later earned her GED in 1980 in Granite Falls, Minnesota. Norma was united in marriage to Evert Kruse on November 22, 1944, in Worthington, MN. This marriage was blessed with four children; David, Betty, Jan, and Kirby. In 1955, they moved to Iona, Minnesota and then lived in several communities in the Fulda and Windom area. Norma worked in several different places through the years including Campbell's Soup, Fingerhut, BW Harris, Good Samaritan Society-Sogge Memorial in Windom, and was a volunteer driver for the Peoples Express. On February 29, 1988, Evert passed away. After his death, Norma continued to live in Windom. On October 12, 2011, Norma became a resident of the Good Samaritan Society-The Village in Mt. Lake. She remained there until passing away on March 20, 2012, at the age of 83 years. Norma was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Windom and RSVP since 1989. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting and playing cards. Norma is survived by her four children, Betty Wehking of Bingham Lake, Minnesota; Janet Wehking and her husband, Roy, of Fulda; David Kruse and his wife, Vickie, of Bingham Lake; Kirby Kruse and his wife, Char, of Windom; 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; four siblings, Harold Kinkade and his wife, Mabel, of Waterloo, IA; Roger Kinkade of Kellyville, OK; Patty Ann Billings and her husband, Don, of Sun City, CA; April Kinkade of Milford, IA; and several nieces and nephews. Norma is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Evert; one great-grandson, Joseph Kruse; and two sisters, Reva Eilene Ricker and Ida Mae Rauss. Blessed be the memory of Norma Jean Kruse.