Funeral Services for Norma Jean Eitzen, 82, of Fairview, will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 27, 2008 at the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church. The Reverends Mike Frantz, Brad Penner and Leonard Vogt will officiate. Burial will follow in the South Mennonite Brethren Cemetery. Arrangements are by the Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

Viewing will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the Fairview Funeral Home Inc.

Norma Jean (Epp) Eitzen was born at Salem Hospital in Hillsboro, Kansas on November 16, 1926 and entered her eternal rest on March 23, 2009 at the age of 82 years. As the oldest child of A.W. and Eva (Just) Epp she had four younger siblings; Verna Mae, Carol, Joel and Betty. Soon after Norma Jean was born, the family moved to a farm homesteaded by her grandfather, located southeast of Fairview, Oklahoma. This is where she spent most of her life until she was married. Surrounded by a loving family, she had a happy childhood growing up on the farm. Norma Jean attended Progressive school through eighth grade. After grade school, she attended Bible School for one year followed by three years at Fairview High School, graduating in 1944. After high school, she attended Tabor College for one and a half years. She attended the South Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church and was baptized as a pre-teenager by her grandfather upon confession of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. Thirty-eight years of her life were spent at the Westport Mennonite Brethren Church at Collinsville, Oklahoma, where she was actively involved in the Women's Missionary Society and served in the deacon ministry with her husband. She was church pianist and/or organist for all those years as well and accompanied many singing groups. Norma Jean and Kenneth were members of the Gideon's and she distributed Bibles to hospitals in the area. Most recently, she volunteered her help for the AWANA program at the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church.
The special man in Norma Jean's life, who later became her husband, was Kenneth Eitzen. Their romance began when he was hired to do some work on the Epp family farm and continued by way of letters as he was sent overseas during WWII. They began their married life on March 3, 1946. Just recently, they celebrated their sixty-third wedding anniversary. The first years of married life were spent living near Fairview where two daughters, Marilyn and Jeanette, were born. During this time, Norma Jean was a member of the East Fairview Home Demonstration Club. In 1955, they moved to Collinsville, Oklahoma. Norma Jean had many artistic talents. She loved to piece quilts and do cross-stitch and was an excellent seamstress. She also loved to do oil paintings and watercolors. Many beautiful pieces are used to decorate their home. Over a period of time after their daughters left home, Norma Jean and Kenneth had three new homes built. She designed and drew the plans for all of them. She loved her family and for many years her children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren would get to enjoy a summer vacation at Pagosa Springs, Colorado where she and Kenneth spent some time every summer.
We will greatly miss our loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She faithfully prayed for her family. In a journal entry during the month of March she wrote, "My favorite time of the year is spring, when the trees leaf out and the birds sing – when everything puts on the newness of life." Those of us who hope in the promise of new life and entrust her to God's great mercy and loving kindness are her husband Kenneth of Fairview; daughters Marilyn and husband Don Ratzlaff of Hillsboro, Kansas, and Jeanette and husband John Glasgow of Altus, Oklahoma; nine grandchildren: Tamara and husband Ed Burns, Kristin and husband Matt Kennedy, Monica and husband Chris Redman, Trent and wife Sarah Glasgow, Brenda and husband Vernon Pyles, Bri Ratzlaff, Lance Glasgow, Brandon and wife Afton Ratzlaff and Paige Glasgow; thirteen great-grandchildren; one brother, Joel Epp of Henderson, Nebraska, and one sister, Betty Wichert of Fairview. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.
We would like to thank everyone who prayed the Norma Jean in these last weeks of her life and also those who lovingly cared for her – the nursing staff of Fairview Fellowship Home and Hospice Circle of Love.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gideon's International, Fairview Fellowship Home or Fairview Hospice Circle of Love with Fairview Funeral Home Inc. acting as custodian.
Condolences may be made online at www.fairviewfuneralhomeinc.com.