Marengo-Ruth Amelia Gesine Norton was born August 10, 1929, in Iowa Township, Iowa County, Iowa, the eldest of 10 children born to Arnold and Anna (Doehrmann) Glandorf. She was baptized on September 1, 1929, and confirmed on June 13, 1943, all at Immanuel Lutheran Church near Williamsburg. She attended Immanuel Lutheran School. Ruth was united in marriage to Marvin Norton on September 3, 1950, at Immanuel Lutheran Church. After farming for nearly 20 years, she and her family moved to Cedar Rapids where she worked in food service for Wilson School, working her way up from substitute to head cook. In May 1989, she was the recipient of the Heart of the Program Award from the Cedar Rapids School District. Ruth was a past member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids and a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Marengo. She was a member of Walther League, church choir, L.W.M.L, Ladies Aid, the Farm Bureau Women group, and was a Sunday School teacher. Ruth enjoyed spending time in her vegetable and flower gardens, watching and listening to sports games, playing cards, and baking desserts of all kinds. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family. Ruth passed away Sunday, November 29, 2015, at Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo at the age of 86 years.

She is survived by her three children: Joan Kepler and Joel (Shari) Norton all of Cedar Rapids, Jerel (Lisa) Norton of Minneapolis, MN; 6 grandchildren: Josh (Tereni) Kepler, Tyson (Britnee) Wimer, Melissa Cinkan, April Norton, Laurie Norton and Miles Norton; 10 great grandchildren: Conner, Sidney, Nolan, Zoey, Jordon, Zane, Linzee, Saig, Jase and Damion; 5 brothers and 4 sisters: Helen Kessler of Williamsburg, Robert (Marian) Glandorf of Homestead, Orlen (Loretta) Glandorf of Williamsburg, Elaine (Robert) Iburg of Williamsburg, Lola Schmidt of Overland Park, KS, Richard (Linda) Glandorf of Marengo, Willard (Pat) Glandorf of Williamsburg, Earl (Carol) Glandorf of Homestead and Marie (Larry) Blazicek of Fairfax. She is preceded by her parents, husband in 1995, a son-in-law: Floyd Kepler; a sister-in-law: Linda Glandorf and 3 brothers-in-law: Harold Iburg, Tom Kessler and Paul Schmidt.

Celebration of Life Service will be 10:00 am Saturday, December 5, 2015 at St. John Lutheran Church in Marengo. Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Powell Funeral Home in Williamsburg. Burial will be at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery near Williamsburg. Memorials are for Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.