Norma Layton

In the early morning hours of July 23, 2020, Norma, 89, passed peacefully in her sleep at Sweet Memorial Care Center in Chinook, and journeyed to her final home with her Savior Jesus Christ beside her.  Born on April 13, 1931, Norma was the third of seven children born to Nekolae Nilson Leom and Anna Marie Amundson Leom of Bonetrail, ND.  She attended elementary school in Bonetrail and graduated from Williston High School in 1949.

A service is being planned for September 8, at 11:00 AM at Joplin City Park. A reception will follow. Family requests that you bring a lawn chair and memories.

In October of 1952, she married Elmer G. Muncy of Chester, where they lived and had five children. After his passing in 1973, she found love again and married Lawrence “Curly” Layton in 1974. He passed in 1981.

Norma had a passion for flowers and birds, especially eagles and owls, loved watching them and doing bird counts as she was able. Mom loved to grow a big garden when she could and canned most of it. She was a good seamstress and made lots of clothing and a few quilts.  She always had word search puzzle books around and enjoyed doing plastic canvas projects, watching gameshows, baseball (Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals), collected spoons from all over the world.  Many vacations were spent camping and traveling to Waterton National Parks and areas in Glacier National Park, as well as other trips to see family and friends.  One memorable vacation was with her daughter Cheryl to the Grand Cayman Islands.

A lifelong Lutheran with very strong faith, she was a current member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. She loved pitching horseshoes and belonged to the Liberty Leaners Horseshoe Club; golfed with dad in her younger years, bowled for many years, was a member of the Marias Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation; longtime member of the Chester Garden Club; life member of the Ladies Aux. to the VFW where she held many offices and chairmanships on the local, district and Dept levels, including Dept. Secretary. For many years, she was active in the Esther Circle, Ladies Aid and WELCA, and helped with quilting at Our Savior’s Lutheran and taught Sunday school for a few years.

Early in her marriage to Elmer, she was a clerk at the Chester Trading Co., aka, the Green Store, then became a stay-at-home-do-it-all mom and wife, then later worked at the Chester Elementary School through the Green Thumb program where she loved being around and helping the kids and teachers.

Norma is survived by her five children, Nancy Muncy of Chula Vista, CA; Terry (Yong) Muncy of Great Falls; Cheryl Muncy  of Chester; Bryan (Sandy) Muncy of Salem, OR; and Lyle (Mary Jane) Muncy of Caldwell, ID; five grandchildren, Teresa Muncy (JT Barnes), Megan (Nick) Stewart, Nick Muncy, Monica Muncy, and Min Ha Muncy; two great grandsons, Ryker and Hendrix; sister, Sylvia (Gary) Jones of Kaysville Utah; along with many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and sisters-in law, June Haupt and Lois Leom.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Elmer and Curly; sisters, Agnes (Alfred) Cushing, Marie (Darrel) Marden, Nina (Frank) Verhasselt; and brothers, Kenneth Leom and Arne (Kathy) Leom.

We love and miss her and know we will see her again one day.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Bethel Lutheran Church, Joplin, MT, the Liberty County Community and Senior Center of Chester, or to donor’s choice.