Norma Jo Young

Norma was born November 4, 1946, in Sterling, Illinois, the daughter of Dale F. Cohenour and Elvera Schwark. On May 27, 1967 she was united in marriage to Frank Young who survives at their home.

Norma was a wonderful stay at home mother who took great pride in raising her two daughters. It was in 1975, at the age of 29, that she undertook the task of earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Milliken University in Decatur, Illinois while She and Frank raised their two girls, who were ages 5 and 7 at the time. She would graduate in 1983 with both her degree and her certification as a Registered Nurse.

Norma spent time working at several hospitals in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she also ran a nursing home. In Columbia, she worked at the University Hospital where she began the newcomer program. Her passions were working in geriatrics, psychiatrics and hospice care, emblematic of her caring nature. She also opened, owned, and operated her own home health business in Columbia in 1996.

She was a loving mother and grandmother who will be remembered for her personality as a a nurturing, strong-willed, caring, and independent woman who never once blinked at what the world threw at her. Her boundless empathy, sympathy, and compassion made her an inspiration to everyone she met.

Norma is survived by her husband, Frank; their daughters, Jennifer (John) Kurtz of Summerville, SC and Becky Mitten (Robert Bowman) of Columbia; their grandchildren, Sam Mitten, Ben Mitten, Reed Kurtz, Ali Kurtz, and a host of cousins and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents.