Norma Pauline Bockes

Norma P. Bockes, age 94, of Canby, MN, passed away Thursday, October 30, 2025 at The Estates of St. Louis Park Nursing Home. Memorial service will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 7, 2025 at the Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Canby with Rev. Levi Bollerud officiating. Visitation will be on Friday one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Canby City Cemetery. Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel is entrusted with the arrangements.
Norma Pauline (Thompson) Bockes, daughter of Alice (Beal) Thompson and LeRoy J Thompson, was born December 5, 1930 on a farm NE of Porter, MN. She attended grades 1-8 at Porter School District 83. She graduated from Canby High School in 1948. Norma rode the Porter school bus in 1948-1949 to attend the last Teacher's Training School in Canby, taught by Lillian Monson. Norma taught District 63 in 1949-1950.
Norma married Lester Bockes in 1950 at Porter Lutheran Church and they moved to an apartment in Canby. She continued in her 2nd year of teaching in District 27, closer to Canby.
Norma became a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in 1950, and was a member of the church choir and taught Sunday School. She was also a member of the VFW and Legion Auxiliary and held President and Secretary positions during those years and sang with the Marshall Sweet Adelines for several years. Norma was also active in ARC for years and a wonderful advocate for her daughter, Holly.
Norma and Lester had 3 daughters: Lonnie, Jerilyn and Holly. She finished out the year 1954-1955 teaching for Ilene Jacobson. She taught until she started her family. In 1967, she returned to work as a Para-Professional at Canby Elementary School until 1998 when she retired.
In December 1989, Norma and Lester divorced. She continued to enjoy all the things she loved such as playing cards, dancing, reading & journaling, singing, walking, and traveling with friends and family. Norma was so grateful to God to be able to share many years with her wonderful daughters and their husbands and she had an infectious smile, kind and loving personality and everyone that knew her, loved her, especially her students.
She was preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy and Alice (Beal) Thompson, step-mother Edith (Lenander) Thompson, one brother in infancy, Wilbur, her brother, Herbert; Lester; 2 sisters-in-law: Bonnie (Charles) Pearson, Doreen (Verle) Benson and nephew, Doug Pearson.
Norma is survived by her children: Lonnie K. (Lonnie W.) Leasman, Jerilyn (Jerry) Munsterman, Holly Bockes; grandchildren: Lori (Mark) Strelow; Teri (J) Doehring; Kristi (Curtis) Terry, Staci (Kevin) Smith, Calli Munsterman, Zachary (Alex) Munsterman: sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Ivan) Dorn, brother-in-law, Charles Pearson; 15 great grandchildren & 7 great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Blessed be her memory.