Norvan Howard Holverson

Born on December 7, 1935, in Indianola, Nebraska, Norv was the son of W. Howard and Mary B. (Griffith) Holverson of Furnace County, Nebraska. In his youth, his father's ministry drew the family to many places including Beaver City, Grand Island, Unadilla, and Lincoln, in Nebraska, and Lexington, KY. Norv told many stories of fond times staying with his grandparents on the farm near Oxford, NE.

A graduate of Lincoln Northeast High School, Norv was honored as best student in Lincoln and through the encouragement of his English teacher he earned a four-year scholarship to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He attended UNL briefly before answering the call of duty and enlisting in the United States Marine Corps with four of his friends.

Norv served overseas in Korea during the Korean war and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant on November 27, 1956, from Camp Pendleton, California. He earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. As company clerk at Camp Pendleton, he received a citation for the most accurate daily activity reports in the entire Marine Corps — a testament to his precision and dedication. His favorite song, the Marine Corps Hymn, carried with it the pride of a man who served with distinction.

After his service, Norv returned to Lincoln and soon met and married the love of his life, Karen Persons, in 1959. Together they soon opened the beauty shop, Karen's Magic Mirror, and their daughter, Tracy, was born. Son, Todd, joined the family several years later. After almost 20 years in Lincoln, the family moved to Roseville, CA.

Throughout his career, Norv wore many hats — insurance sales, real estate agent, pole barn builder, home builder warranty repair, and remodeling contractor. His crowning professional achievement came when he earned his broker/realtor's license and, in a single year, sold more land than any realtor in the state of Nebraska.

Beyond his work, Norv was very curious and has a lifelong love of learning about history, government, justice, science and technology. He spent time advocating for causes important to him and also found joy in woodworking, fishing, and gold panning. As a devoted fan of the classic Pepper and Salt cartoons, he had a jolly sense of humor. Among his proudest family moments was speaking to the Bethany Christian Church congregation about the lives of his mother and father.

Norv said that what he loved most in life was his family. He lived his life straightforwardly, with no pretense and no pretension. "I just went with the flow," he said of his youthful ambitions. His greatest hope was that those who knew him would carry forward a simple truth: honesty is the best policy. He would like to be remembered as a straight-shooter.

Norv is survived by Karen, his children, Tracy (Mark) Aksamit and Todd (Lisa) Holverson, and his three grandchildren, Natalie Aksamit, Timothy Aksamit, and Jordan Holverson. He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Martha (Marvin) Griswold and Winston (Pat) Holverson.

A celebration of life will be held at Lambert Funeral Home, Roseville, CA. Internment at Fairview Cemetery in Lincoln, NE will follow at a later date.