Norma J. Pantzke

Norma J. Pantzke, 95-year-old resident of Randall, MN passed away Sunday, January 21, 2024 at St. Otto's Care Center in Little Falls, MN. A Funeral Service will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cushing, MN with Rev. Carl Larson officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM until the hour of the service at the church. Burial will be in the Parker Bethany Cemetery in rural Randall, MN at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Bethany Lutheran Church Building Fund. Caring for Norma and her family is the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN.
Norma was born December 4, 1928 to the late Claude A, Sr. and Sarah "Alice" (Haywood) Stoner at their home in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During her childhood, Norma and her family moved to California and later returned to the Randall and Cushing, MN area. She graduated from high school in Little Falls, MN. Beginning in her youth Norma enjoyed outdoor activities; she was a champion at marbles and was known as "Dyna," short for dynamite for her ability to hit a softball to the outfield. Norma had a green thumb, with a passion for vegetable and flower gardening as well as maintaining an "indoor jungle" of houseplants throughout her life. Norma was united in marriage to Edwin G "Sonny" Pantzke, Jr on September 20, 1948 and they worked together and raised their family on the Pantzke homestead that has been in the family for over 100 years. They had 9 children together and Edwin had a daughter from a former marriage. Edwin passed away in November 1979. Norma prides herself in her large 5-generation family that also includes 22 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren, as well as numerous young tagalong family and friends who ate at her table and slept in her house. In addition to being a homemaker and raising her children, Norma sold World Book Encyclopedias door-to-door for a brief time and also was a Census taker. Norma moved from the farm in rural Randall where she had lived for over 71 years to a small independent living apartment in Randall in November 2019. In November 2022 she moved to St. Otto's Care Center. Norma was an avid reader and also enjoyed feeding the birds in her later years. She loved the outdoors and prided herself in maintaining her own large home and yard with vegetable and flower gardens until moving off the farm. Norma enjoyed baking and prepared desserts for every meal and baked large batches of bread and rolls twice weekly. Her Christian faith was very strong, and she was active in her Lutheran Church serving on the Altar Guild, Church Council, as a Sunday School teacher, singing in the choir, and assisting with weekly fellowships at a local Senior Care Facility for many years.
Norma is survived by her sons, John (Vicki) Pantzke of Estelline, SD, Richard Pantzke of Little Falls, MN, and Joel (Jeanine) Pantzke of Randall, MN; daughter, Linda Pantzke of Little Falls, MN; stepdaughter, Connie (Pantzke Jasorka) Swanson of Sturgeon Lake, MN; daughters-in-law, Loni (Wimmer) Pantzke of Little Falls, MN, Kathy (Rutz) Pantzke of Rice, MN, Audrey (Heinz) Pantzke of Randall, MN; former daughters-in-law, Teri (Bergquist) Pantzke of Minneapolis, MN, Laurie (Stern) Belka of Eden Prairie, MN; sisters, Diana (Stoner) Nelson of Sioux Falls, SD and Maxine (Stoner) DeBaun of Garden Grove, CA; and many grand, great-grand, and great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Edwin; infant baby girl; sons, Steven, Gerald, Timothy, and Curtis; stepson-in-law, Arvid "Buzz" Swanson; grandson, Jesse Pantzke; granddaughter, Penelope Henline; brothers, Richard, Eugene, Claude Jr, and Dennis Stoner; sisters, Beverly Myers and Marilyn Garrison.