Obituary - Norma Emilia Engleson

Norma Emilia Engleson, 84, died Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Montana, after suffering a stroke.

Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, at the First Lutheran Church with Pastor Tanner Howard officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery next to her husband, Don. Memorials in Norma's honor may be made to the Havre Food Bank or to the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line.

Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.

Please visit Norma's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Norma was born Feb. 10, 1932, north of Inverness, Montana, on the family homestead to Ragnvald and Emelia (Peterson) Haaland. She was the fifth born of eight children. She moved to Havre with her family in 1942 so the children could attend school. The family lived at 637 Third Ave. during the school year and at the farm during the summers. Norma graduated from high school and married her high school sweetheart, Donald Engleson, on July 16, 1950. Together they made their home in the same house Norma grew up in and raised their five children, Jerry, Mark, Lynn, Eddy and Kay.

Norma loved being a "mom." She devoted herself to her family, always baking sweet treats and having large home cooked family dinners. Norma made cooking and baking look easy. She also was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed reading and embroidery. Norma would try anything - she even learned to ski in her 40s - and enjoyed running and walking for exercise. Norma enjoyed many birthday parties and holiday festivities with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren here at home.

Norma and Don hosted three AFS students, Lotta from Sweden, Dubravka from Yugoslavia, and Nellie from France. These relationships were fostered over the years and Norma and Don traveled to Europe to see family and their AFS host students. They also supported a young boy named Ragu Kumaresan for many years, and Ragu came to visit Norma this summer. He was recently hired by Motorola in Chicago as an engineer.

Norma's life was rewarding. She enjoyed her time with her grandchildren, teaching them many things and later in life her great grandchildren. They always sought the comfort of Grandma's house and loved to help her in the yard, with her flowers or baking.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents; husband Don, Aug. 1, 2012; son-in-law, Tom Montgomery; granddaughter, Emily Montgomery Dec. 3, 2012; her brothers, Milton, Ronald and Carsten; and sisters, Gertrude and Joan.

Norma is survived by her five children, Jerry (Kathy) Engleson of Havre, Mark Engleson of Lewistown, Lynn Montgomery of San Diego, California, Eddy Engleson of Zortman, and Kay (Barlow) Engleson of Inverness; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren, with one great-grandchild due in September that she couldn't wait to see; brothers, Sterling and Wilbur Haaland; adopted son, Ragu (Sindhu) Kumaresan and their daughter Hazzy, all of New Delhi, India; and her best friends, Helen Manaras and Donna Stockdill, both of Havre.

Norma enjoyed her Tuesday morning with her TOPS friends and after their meeting they always would meet at the Atrium for a gooey cinnamon roll and lots of laughs.