Norma Jean McKee, 98 of Montezuma passed away peacefully Saturday evening, December 8, 2018 at the Montezuma Specialty Care. Funeral services will begin at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am until the time of service with the family present from 12:30 pm until 1:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Montezuma. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Evangelical Church.

Norma Jean McKee was born on July 3, 1920 in rural Newton, Iowa to Bill and Bess (Banks) Shadley. She graduated from Montezuma High School in 1938. She worked at various jobs in the Montezuma area before she married Donald McKee in 1941. As a married couple, they started working on Donald's family farm living next door to his parents. Eventually, they built their own home on farmland they purchased east of Montezuma.

Norma Jean was a dedicated farm wife. Whatever needed to be done on the farm she would do or would learn how to do it. She was active in the First Presbyterian Evangelical Church until her health prevented it. Mariners, the youth group sponsor, and UPW were all part of her life. 4-H was a longtime family activity and Norma Jean served as a leader for that group. There was a neighborhood social group KYN that she was a longtime member of. Her great grandchildren's activities included all kinds of musicals and performances at Solon and ballgames at Montezuma. She loved attending all of them. Birthday celebrations she hosted for all her grandchildren were always special events.

Norma was a perfectionist at sewing garments and quilts. Bringing home blue ribbons from competitions gave her pleasure. She was also proud of her yearly garden and really enjoyed mowing her big yard. She loved to square dance and round dance. She believed each day needed to be used to the fullest from morning to evening with the work that needed to be done. Her family can all agree on that.

Norma Jean is survived by two daughters, Donna Thomason of Montezuma and Janet McKee from Montezuma; special granddaughter Teresa Jean (Loren) Elliott and special grandson Eric Thomason from Montezuma; great grandchildren, Brandon (Lauryn ) Elliott of St. Paul, MN, Caitlin Jean (Brian) Berge of Iowa City and Siraj (Katie Maschmann) Thomason of Montezuma; Norma's younger sister, Leah Mae (John) Rupp and a special nephew, Ed (Colleen) Shadley; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Donald in 2007, son-in-law Bob Thomason in 2005 and great grandson Ryan Elliott in 2014; and her brothers Bill, Karl, and Bayard.