Norma Vance Curtis' Obituary
An elect daughter of God, Norma Vance Curtis, age 90, passed away on March 31, 2013 at her daughter Sylvia’s home in St. George, Utah. Norma was born November 27, 1922 in Park Valley, Box Elder, Utah to John Alma Vance, Jr., and Gertrude Halliday. She grew up on their small farm that she described as, “long on rocks and short on crops” and was happy there. As a child she loved listening to the sound of the stream of water that ran past her home and when her dad cultivated the land, she would ride Old Pet, her horse, and listen to her father tell Bible stories. She attended Park Valley School, first through tenth grade, and graduated from Brigham City High. Norma served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mexico from 1946-1948. She was able to meet President George Albert Smith while serving in Mexico, as well as, future prophets, David O. McKay and Spencer W. Kimball. Norma served three later missions with her husband: Spain (1989-90); San Jose California Mission (Spanish -speaking, 1990-91) and the Switzerland Temple Mission (1996-97). She once said that serving on these missions, especially in the temple, was just like living in a part of heaven. She attended Brigham Young University from 1948-50. It was there that she met Brandt B. Curtis. She had to break her first date with Brandt so that she could sing in a returned missionary songfest which was ironic since Brandt was the singer of the family. They fell in love and were married September 5, 1950 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. Before she met Brandt, Norma was engaged to another fellow. She worked at Remington Arms in Salt Lake City packing bullets for World War II. Somewhere in the packing process, she lost her engagement ring. She wondered if some lucky soldier would be surprised when he opened up his pack of bullets. From 1976-1986, she worked as a lunch lady for the Provo School District. Norma’s strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ never wavered. She lived it every day and was a light to others. In addition to her missions, she served in many church callings: a teacher in Primary, Sunday School, and Relief Society, Relief Society President, Ward Librarian, and as a Provo Temple Ordinance Worker. She once gave each of her children a cross-stitch quote by Elder Boyd K. Packer that said, “We want our children and their children to know that the choice in life is not between fame and obscurity, nor is the choice between wealth and poverty; the choice is between good and evil.” Norma had a good sense of humor—a dry wit. Her former Relief Society President said of her, “When Norma says anything in Relief Society, people really pay attention because she says exactly what’s on her mind and oftentimes it’s hilarious!” Norma was always very supportive of her husband who was a gifted tenor singer, a doctor of music and a BYU professor. She was always content to let him shine in the limelight for she adored her husband and he adored her back. When Brandt had a differing opinion, Norma would tactfully speak with him about the subject and it wasn’t too much longer before he came around to her way of thinking. Norma was all about goodness and virtue. She surrounded her home with pictures of the things she loved: pictures of her family, the Savior, and the temple. She had dried leaves gathered off the Switzerland Temple that she had framed. Paintings by her father and daughter, Esther, hung on her walls. She cared about everyone she met. She loved her neighbors and took the time to make them feel special. She was a great scratch cook and had a talent of making a delicious meal out of seemingly a bare refrigerator. Brandt was always pinching pennies and Norma made the best of it. She and Brandt always grew a garden and harvested their fruit trees. With their abundance, she’d can, juice, dry and freeze their harvest. Nothing was wasted. She was a hard worker. She sewed, quilted and served her family tirelessly. If any of her children needed her help, she’d drop everything to go help. Her favorite things to do were watching and cheering for BYU sports’ teams, reading, tending her flower garden, and in her later years, working in the temple and on her family history. She loved getting away on camping trips with family and friends. Norma loved and cherished her husband and her family with all her heart. Her children and grandchildren were her “lambs” and they loved her dearly. She is survived by her children: Paul Vance Curtis b. 1952 (Eleanor Elsa Martha Dieckman), Daniel Lyn Curtis b. 1954 (Mira D. Jones), Esther Lee (David Kent) Hawkins b. 1957, Sylvia (Ronald Robert) Andrew b. 1959, Evelyn D. (Dahlen Ralph) Downing b. 1962, and Nathan Brandt Curtis (JulieAnn Elizabeth Burton) b. 1963, and 30 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Funeral Services are to be held at 11 a.m. in the LDS Chapel located at 2400 North 1060 East, Provo, Utah with the viewing in the same building at 10:00 a.m.
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