Norman Elwood

Norman Elwood was born January 11, 1924 to Ben & Emma Fjordbak.

Norman & Betty Lea Bell (2/6/26) were married on September 12, 1945.

Norman Lee – February 11, 1950 – February 18, 1991

Glenda Renae – June 6, 1954

Norman Elwood Fjordbak was born in Storm Lake, IA on January 11, 1924, the fifth of seven children born to Bernhard and Emma (Hansen) Fjordbak. He entered into rest December 26, 2010.

Funeral services were held at the Triumphant Life Church in Lonsdale, Minnesota on December 28, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Thomas Byrtus and Rev. Ronald W. Mixer officiating. His final resting place is at Czech National Cemetery in New Prague, Minnesota.

Norman and Betty (Bell) were married on September 12, 1945 and just celebrated their 65^th anniversary together.  After their marriage they moved to Minneapolis to attend North Central Bible College.  While attending college, and since they have been instrumental in working in many church plants and outreach ministries. Fremont Tabernacle, People’s Church, Minneapolis Gospel Tabernacle, Full Gospel Temple, Jackson Assembly of God, Riverside Assembly of God, Faribault Assembly of God, Spirit of Life Church, Triumphant Life Church, Full Gospel Camp Meeting, Light for the Lost, Alaska, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico MAPS Trip.  Norm made sure the family was always early for any service.  If there was church, we were there.  He always came with this tithe for the Lord and an offering to help others.

No one was a stranger to Norman, they were an opportunity to share Jesus and invite them to church.  After retirement, Norman and Betty ate out one meal a day so he could talk to someone about the Lord. They were known by name at Burger King, Old Country Buffet, Pizza Ranch and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Norman and Betty made many friends this way, and people could travel the world around and someone would know Norm and Betty Fjordbak.

Norman loved music.  He sang with his brothers growing up in Truesdale, IA.  Duets with Betty, trios when Lee was born, and the family quartet when Glenda joined the family.

Norman couldn’t go to bed at night without playing the piano first.  He wrote many choruses during those times alone with God.  He also played his saxophone in the church orchestra or was the worship leader.  His favorite song was Friendship with Jesus.  He was writing and singing a new song his last wakeful hours, “I’m going home.”

Betty Lea (Bell) Fjordbak, 86 of Webster, died Monday, July 23, 2012 at home.  Betty was born February 6, 1926, in Baxter, Iowa, the first of four children born to Rev. Lawrence Basil and Eula Allience (McCloud) Bell.

Funeral services were held at the Triumphant Life Church in Lonsdale, Minnesota July 27, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Thomas Byrtus and Rev. Ronald W. Mixer presiding. Her final resting place is at Czech National Cemetery in New Prague, Minnesota.  Pallbears were Mark Swelland, James Guimond, Ray Crosgrove, Mark Lord, Joseph Palma, and Harold Maisch. Honorary Pallbearers were Michael Kirkpatrick, Joshua Rudder, and Lisa Klossner.

Betty attended school in Elmer, MO, Pleasant Hill, IA, Brookfield, MO, and Storm Lake, IA.  Betty graduated from North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, MN, with a Bible degree.

Betty married Norman Elwood Fjordbak on September 12, 1945, in Storm Lake, IA.  They celebrated their 65^th anniversary together.

She is survived by her daughter Glenda Ranae (Rev. Ronald W. Mixer), Lonsdale, tow granddaughters, Rachelle Renae (Michael) Kirkpatrick, Yukon, OK and Danielle Kaye (Joshua) Rudder, Topeka, KS; three great-grandchildren, Sabrina Ranae and Emma Marie Kirkpatrick and Dominic (Nico) Elias Rudder; a brother Basil Wayne Bell, Fayetteville, GA, a sister Wanda Shoff, Palmdale, CA, other in-laws, nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Norman Elwood Fjordbak, son, Norman Lee; her parents and brother Rev. Billy Bell.

Betty and Norman were instrumental in working in many churches, where Betty was in charge of the Children’s Church.  She was a great story teller and if you misbehaved during Children’s Church you were brought up front and asked to retell the story or to lead the motions of a special song.  She continued telling stories throughout her life, sharing her talent in story, song or poem.

Betty was a mother and housewife with lots of side jobs.  She was the best nurse to all the neighborhood kids as she used salve and rags as bandages instead of ban aids.  This way you could show off your boo-boos better.  Occasionally even the adult neighbors came for a splinter to be removed from Betty’s steady hands and calming spirit.

Betty babysat children who still remember her saying “no, no, Betty “pank” when they would get into her collection of knick-knacks.  She loved taking care of and traveling with her two granddaughters during the summer.

Betty sewed all of Glenda’s dresses when she was little, which had lots of crinolines.  She could create something out of discarded materials.  Glenda even had a flowing “Calamity Jane” costume made from an old silk parachute.  She enjoyed crocheting afghans for all her family.

She was also the barber and hair dresser for her family.  In all of the 65 years that they were married, Norm never paid for a haircut.

Betty was the bookkeeper for several churches and she cut out thousands of stamps for the missionaries’ literature fund.

Betty put scotch light dealer name tags on metal license plate frames for Douglas Corporation from her home.  She also loved helping children prepare for school pictures for Life Touch Photography.

Betty sang with her dad as a child, learning to play the guitar, violin and piano.  She continued to sing throughout her life.  She transformed her own family into a quartet, teaching them all to sing harmony.

Betty’s favorite color was pink.  People at the nursing homes couldn’t always remember her name, but they knew the “Pink Lady.”

Her smile and pat will be greatly missed.