Norma Jean Smits

Norma Jean Smits, 93, of St. Paul, died Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, at the Greeley Care Home in Greeley. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Wolbach. The Rev. Mike Anderson will officiate. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery in Wolbach. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Peters Funeral Home in St. Paul. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation. Social distancing and face masks will be required for both the visitation and funeral service. The service will be recorded and you will be able to view the service later on the Peters Funeral Home Facebook page. The direct link for that page is www.facebook.com/PetersFuneralHomeSP. Norma Jean was born on April 28, 1927, at Laurel, Nebraska, the daughter of Elmer and Margaret (Levering) Gillespie. As a young girl she lived with her parents in Norfolk, later moving to Winside, where she graduated from Winside High School. She met the love of her life in Maurice, Iowa when she was 12 years old and Marvin “Smitty” Smits was 14 years old. They became friends and maintained a long-distance relationship for many years. They were united in marriage on Aug. 3, 1945, in Maurice. The couple first lived in Tampa, FL while Marvin was in the military. After he was discharged, they lived in Winside where he operated a corn shelling business. In 1954, the couple moved to Wolbach, where Smitty managed the Chicago Lumber Co. In 1969, he was transferred with his work to Omaha and Norma Jean began working as a bookkeeper for Nebraska Tractor & Equipment, a job she held until her retirement in 1992. The couple then moved to St. Paul where they lived until July 2010, when they returned to Wolbach. Marvin died on Jan. 2, 2017 and Norma Jean moved to St. Paul where she lived the rest of her life. She was a member of the United Methodist Church and Ray Mapes American Legion Auxiliary Unit 236, both of Wolbach. Norma Jean enjoyed sewing and jumble, crossword and sudoku puzzles. She also loved attending her grandchildren’s activities. She is survived by her children and spouses, Mary Wadsworth of Wolbach, Beverly and Jim Foote of Ralston and Jack and Rita Smits of Ashland; 7 grandchildren and spouses, Dennis and Ann Wadsworth, Maaika and Art Anderson, Luke and Kari Foote, Jenny and Todd Nichol, Alisa and K.J. Beam, Megan Smits and Brandon Monroe and Eric and Abby Smits; 14 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, Marvin, she was preceded in death by her parents; granddaughter, Tina Rozmiarek; two great-grandchildren, D.J. Foote and Abby Jo Foote; an infant sister; and two brothers, Donald Gillespie and Robert Gillespie.