Marcia Ann Heyboer

Marcia Ann Heyboer passed away peacefully on December 12, 2016 at Sugar Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Normal, Illinois. She was 78 years old. Marcia Norsted was born in Virginia, Minnesota on April 10, 1938 into a family of educators. Her mother, Ann Norsted, was a kindergarten teacher and her father, Roy Norsted, was school principal in several different locations throughout Minnesota and eventually became superintendent of the Robbinsdale District in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

From a young age, Marcia was a serious musician, taking piano lessons at the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis, playing clarinet in the Robbinsdale City Band and then continuing her studies at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota where she graduated Suma Cum Laude in 1960 with majors in both Elementary Education and Music. She married her clarinet teacher at Concordia, Paul Heyboer, in 1961 and taught 2nd grade in Fargo, ND for three years while completing a Master’s Degree in Education during the summers at the University of Michigan. In 1964 she gave up her elementary job to start a family and in 1966, moved to Bloomington-Normal, IL where Paul accepted a teaching position in the music department at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Shortly after the move, Marcia began her most cherished career, teaching piano lessons out of her home, which she continued for over 40 years. Her training in education made her an excellent instructor, and she loved watching her students grow musically and learn how to perfect and perform their music. She was loved and will be fondly remembered by many piano students.

As her three daughters grew up, she pursued another interest and earned a Master’s Degree in Christian Education at Scarritt College in Nashville, TN. She then became the Director of Christian Education at Calvary United Methodist Church in Normal, and later at her home church, Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington. In addition, she also coordinated lab schools in various locations to help train Sunday School teachers and served as a Cokesbury curriculum representative.

During her time in Bloomington-Normal Marcia was also an active member and leader of several organizations: Orpheus Club through the National Federation of Music Clubs, Delta Kappa Gamma, History Club, PEO, and her church Bible Study group. She is survived by husband Paul; sister Nancy Larsen (Norm), brother Hugh Norsted (Mary); daughters Kara Holt (Bruce), Jill Heyboer, and Andrea Heyboer (Sumner Thompson); grandchildren Ryan Holt, Blake Holt, Logan Holt, and Annika Heyboer Thompson.

Visitation is Monday, December 19th, 5pm-7pm at East Lawn Funeral Home in Bloomington and 10am-11am Tuesday, December 20th at Wesley United Methodist Church followed by the funeral at 11am and a luncheon. Private interment.