Norman Harold Wetz

Norman was born on March 18, 1947, in Sturgis, South Dakota to Harold Wetz and Sylvia Dobyns Wetz. He grew up on the family farm west of Vale, South Dakota, along the Belle Fourche River. He attended elementary and high school at the Vale School and graduated from Vale High School in 1965. Norman spent three years attending the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota. In June of 1968 he married Gloria Jean Miller, his high school sweetheart, in Sturgis, South Dakota. The couple set up home in Rapid City where Gloria was starting her teaching career. That fall Norman was drafted and spent two years in the Army serving in Vietnam. After his time in Vietnam, Norman returned to Rapid City to complete his Civil Engineering degree at the School of Mines and Technology.

After graduating from the School of Mines and Technology, Norman found an engineering position at Sergent, Hauskins, and Beckwith, a geotechnical engineering company in Phoenix, Arizona. While with the company he worked on a variety of projects in the southwestern United States including Chase Field, the home of the Diamondbacks. After thirty years with the company, Norman accepted a position working for Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in the Materials Department until he retired in 2016.

Norman loved to hunt and fish and spent many hours camping with his family. In addition to outdoor sports, Norman greatly enjoyed following the Diamondbacks and Cardinals.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gloria Jean, of Glendale and his son Jesse. He is also survived by six siblings: Kenneth (Donna) of Newell, South Dakota, Beth Wetz Kelley (Bill) of Great Falls, Montana, Roger (Carol) of Nye, Montana, Linda Wetz Dutton (Phillip) of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, Paul (Vicky) of Glasgow, Montana, and April Wetz Baker (Roy) of Great Falls, Montana.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Harold John Wetz and Sylvia Dobyns Wetz.

To honor Norman, a Celebration of Life will be held in October. October was a very special month for both Norman and Gloria Jean as it was the time of their first date.

If you are interested in providing a gift to honor Norman, please consider the Hospice of the Valley (hov.org).