Norma Jean Emelia Goehry Eckles

Norma Jean Emelia was born to George and Mabel (Franke) Goehry on Sept. 9, 1929, on the Franke family farm northeast of Grant, Neb.
She attended grade school in Ogalalla, Neb. The eldest of four children, she helped Mabel with her four siblings. The family moved to Edgewater, Colo., early in 1940. Norma attended junior high there.
George then found work at Camp Carson (now Fort Carson), so the family moved to Colorado Springs, and Norma continued junior high in Colorado Springs. Another move to Castle Rock found the Goehrys settling there. Norma graduated from Douglas County High School in 1947.
As a young woman, she worked for IREA, the Bank of Douglas County and in the bus stop in Castle Rock. It was through her job at the bus stop that she met the love of her life, Richard Eckles. They were married on Feb. 4, 1951, in Castle Rock, and they enjoyed 61 years together until Richard's passing in 2012. Norma rejoined Richard on March 15, 2019.
In 1956, Richard's employment brought the Eckles family, which then included son Loren (also known as Biff) to Idaho Springs. They are still here. In 1957, daughter Linda came along. Norma was a stay-at-home mom until both kids were in high school.
She then went to work for the Clear Creek County combined courts as a clerk. That job led to going to work as an administrative assistant for Sheriff Gene Kiefer. From there, she became the records supervisor for the Idaho Springs Police Department, a position from which she eventually retired.
Through the years, she was involved in the local women's organization, Mothers Study Club, a neighborhood chairman for the Idaho Springs Girl Scout troop, a member of the United Methodist Church, room mother for both Loren and Linda, and a multiple-time president of the Social Ethics and Columbine Garden Clubs.
She was also one of the dozen or so "fire phone" ladies. These were wives of Idaho Springs firefighters who had fire phones in their homes. When you called the Fire Department, these ladies answered the phone, took down the information and sounded the town's sirens calling out the volunteers.
After retiring from ISPD, she stayed busy in the women's clubs and worked as the manager of the Queens Wardrobe Thrift Shop for a time. She was active in the Clear Creek Fairgrounds Association, which produced the Oh My Gawd Rodeo for 20 years.
She and Richard liked to travel when they could, taking trips to the Indy 500, Phoenix Indy car races, as well as riverboat trips on the Mississippi with Norma's sister Marilyn and brother-in-law Richard Jensen. They also took camping trips with the family to various places in Colorado and Wyoming.
Norma was preceded in death by husband Richard in January 2012, her parents George and Mabel, her baby brother Francis Frederick "Bud" Goehry in July 2018 and her son-in-law Darrell Dean Clark.
She is survived by son Loren, daughter Linda Clark, sister Marilyn Jensen, sister Marilou Wilson, grandchildren Sean Eckles, Michaela (Clark) Doren, and Kory, Katie Clark, and Josh; and great-grandson Aidan Eckles, and as one would expect from a Nebraska farm family, numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. And many, many friends.
A memorial service will be April 6 at 11 a.m. at the United Center at 15th and Colorado Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to VFW Post 4121 Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 705 Idaho Springs, CO 80452.