Norma DeBont

Keswick- Norma Louise DeBont was born June 22, 1922 near Keswick, Iowa, the daughter of Fred M. & Opal (Messenger) Smith. She graduated from Keswick High School in 1939, and attended William Penn College, Oskaloosa, to become a teacher. On August 17, 1941, Norma was united in marriage to Kenneth Jordan DeBont in Keswick. Except for the years during WWII, they lived on the family's Iowa Heritage Farm north of Keswick. She was a lifetime member of the Keswick United Methodist Church and a member of the Keswick American Legion Auxiliary for almost 70 years. She cherished and was cherished by her family and friends. Throughout her lifetime, she enjoyed gardening, cooking, sewing, and playing the piano and organ. Norma died on Monday, February 15, 2016 at The Village in Indianola, Iowa, where she was a resident the past two years, at the age of 93 years.
She is survived by five children: Kenn (Karen) DeBont of Littleton, Colorado; Kathy (Victor) Cook of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Karyn (Dave Johnson) DeBont of Socorro, New Mexico; Kim (Joanna) DeBont of Des Moines and Kerry (Brian) Gegner of Norwalk; 13 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; and her sister Phyllis Barber of Cedar Rapids. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Kristy, great-grandson Alex, and her sister Margaret Schmidt.
Visitation will be on Friday, from 4-7 pm at the Powell Funeral Home, North English. Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at the Keswick United Methodist Church, Keswick. Doc. Charles Klink will officiate. Burial will be in the Sorden Cemetery, rural Webster, Iowa. Memorials may be given to Keswick United Methodist Church or the Keswick American Legion Auxiliary. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com