Norma Jean Duke, 73, of Ames, died Friday, May 2, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. A gathering of friends and family will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, in Ames, with a memorial celebration of life at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, at Ascension Lutheran Church in Ames.
Norma Jean Duke was born June 9, 1934, in Indianapolis, Ind., the daughter of Cecil and Dorothy (Scarbough) Earle. She graduated from Broad Ripple High School in 1952 and attended Butler University. She married Vernon E. Duke Aug. 23, 1957. The couple lived in Florence, S.C., and Youngstown, N.Y., before moving to Ames in 1979. Norma was a real estate agent for ReMax in Ames for 25 years. She was a member of Iowa Association Realtors , National Association Realtors, Certified Resident Specialist, Ames Business Women's Club, Women of the Moose of Ames, and Ascension Lutheran Church. Norma enjoyed gourmet cooking, bridge, playing golf and her family.
Survivors include her husband, Vern Duke, of Ames; son, Jim, of Iowa City; daughter and son-in-law, Cathy and Ken Nordsieck, of Lexington, Mo.; four grandchildren, Josh, Brandon, Emily and Ryan; and one brother, Cecil Earle, of Southfield, Mich.
Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.