Nora Dernoncourt

Nora Christine Dernoncourt, 89, was born in Bridgeport, Oklahoma on March 16, 1923, to Henry and Amelia Oblander Marxsen and passed away peacefully March 1, 2013 in Oklahoma City. Nora was raised in Hinton, Oklahoma and graduated from Hinton High School. She was the youngest of seven children. She moved to Oklahoma City in 1947, finished business school, and began a civil service career with the Internal Revenue Service. She married Willard Louis Dernoncourt in First Lutheran Church on June 5, 1947.

Widowed in 1971 after almost 24 years of marriage, Nora returned to work, retiring from Tinker Air Force Base at age 62 as an Administrative Specialist in the Operation Services Branch of the Directorate of Distribution. Upon her retirement in June 1985, she was commended for her "compassion, understanding, thoughtfulness, dedication, assistance, and above all for being one super nice person." Nora was a 72-year member of First Lutheran Church and sang in the church choir for more than 50 years. She was an active member of the church including the altar guild, the women’s group, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, church suppers, and choir librarian.

Nora is preceded in death by her parents; her husband; siblings Henry Marxsen, Jr., Mary Taylor, Dorothy McClure, Fred Marxsen, and George Marxsen. She is survived by her sister, Helene Schaefer of Paramus, NJ; daughter Debbie Benson and husband John of Roswell, GA; daughter Diane Canavan and husband John of Shawnee, OK; grandchildren Grant Dernoncourt Benson and Megan Benson of Atlanta, GA and Aimee Christine Canavan of Oklahoma City, OK; nephews Bill McClure of Tulsa, OK, Bob Taylor of Little Rock, AR, Neal Taylor of Wichita, KS, Gordon Taylor of Tucson, AZ, John Schaefer of Paramus, NJ, Jim Schaefer of Park Ridge, NJ, Todd Marxsen of Spring, TX, and Wayne Dernoncourt of Leonardtown, MD; nieces Karen Schaefer Brooks of Sydney, AU, Tonya Marxsen Stiel of Franklin, LA, Bonnie Dernoncourt Story of Charleston, MO, Cathy Dernoncourt of Wynnewood, PA, Joan Tweedy and Karen Van Petten.

The family will be receiving visitors from 2pm-4pm on Sunday, March 3rd at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Services are Monday, March 4th at First Lutheran Church, 1300 N. Robinson, Oklahoma City at 11:00 a.m. followed by the committal at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Lutheran Church in Nora’s memory.