Obituary for Norma Groethe

Norma Elaine Groethe passed away peacefully on Friday, November 6, 2020 at her Minneapolis home she had shared with her family for 64 years. Age - 97 years, 5 months, and 27 days. She was gifted the by company of her son Scott and his family from Thailand, who all brightened her house with chaos and Asian colors and smells that she had never experienced in her native North Dakota. Norma was born on 10 May 1923 in the small town of Cogswell, North Dakota, the second of Walter and Nel Swensen's four children (Virginia, Norma, Margaret, and Alan). Moves to several subsequent towns in North Dakota followed, with Bismarck being the place she would meet and marry her beloved Arthur in 1944. She, her three siblings, and her husband all served in the armed forces during WWII, leading her and Arthur to spend the next decade in the then quaint little village of La Jolla, California. Their first two children, Nina and Mark, were born there and spent many sunny days on the beach with their mom, who was often mistaken for the 1940's movie star Gail Russell. Job changes and lifestyle choices led them back to the Midwest in 1955. Norma was an RN, who, most of her adult working life, could be found at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis caring for patients on the Oncology floor. Retirement for Arthur and her made it possible to take frequent trips to California to visit family in the mid 1980's to the 2000’s. She is preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband Arthur. She is survived by her children Nina (David-deceased), Mark (Anita) with grandchild Karl and great-grandchild Bryce, and Scott (Jenny) with grandchildren Walter (Mollie), Teresa, and Anton. She had many friends for the remainder of her life after retirement at North Heights Lutheran Church of Roseville MN. Her favorite hymn was "Beautiful Savior" which would have been sung at a ceremony had this year not been changed by the Coronavirus. A private memorial celebration of her life will be held in the coming days at Ft. Snelling. Memorials preferred to North Heights Lutheran Church Mission Department.