Norma Geraldine Payne (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Norma Geraldine Payne, daughter of Gerald and Iva J. Meireis Steele, was born March 17, 1930, in Stafford, Kansas. She departed this life Wednesday, August 21, 2019, in Lebanon, Missouri, at the age of eighty-nine years, five months, and five days.
On October 8, 1948, she was united in marriage to Donald Eugene Payne, and to this union two daughters and one son were born.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Don, on February 13, 2006; two brothers, Elvayne and Delwayne Steele; and a sister, Annabelle Kent.
Norma is survived by two daughters, Diane Sneed, and her husband, Ed, of Hume, Missouri, and Denise Shoemaker, and her husband, Mark, of Lebanon, Missouri; a son, Brian Payne, of Lebanon, Missouri; nine grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren; two sisters, Adalee Madden, and Emma Lou Southworth, and her husband, Jim, all of Hutchinson, Kansas; several nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
She was born and raised in the Stafford, Kansas area, and graduated from Stafford High School in the Class of 1948. After she and Don were married, they made their home in Hutchinson, Kansas and lovingly began raising their family. They then moved to Arkansas where Norma and Don were house parents at Cookson Hills Christian Ranch. They moved to Moberly, Missouri and became dorm parents at Central Christian College and Norma worked in the college bookstore for over twenty years. The family then moved to the Lebanon, Missouri area in 1990, and Don became the minister at Washington Christian Church. Norma was a dedicated minister’s wife and helpmate and always honored her husband through the years. She also was a devoted homemaker to her family.
Norma made her profession of faith in Christ early in her life and was an active member of Washington Christian Church for many years.
In her spare time she enjoyed knitting, sewing and doing hand quilting. She was an excellent cook and hostess. She loved being a mom to all the kids she worked with and to her own children.
Norma was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and was a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate her life and her accomplishments and know that her family and friends will cherish the wonderful memories she created for them during her lifetime. She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.
Memorials may be made to Washington Christian Church.
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