Norma Jean Cunningham

Norma Jean (Easton) Cunningham, 84, passed away peacefully in her home on August 29, 2020 under hospice care. In accordance with her request, there will be no funeral service. All are welcome to attend the interment service at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell on September 3, 2020 at 11:00 AM. A Service of Remembrance will be held 10:30 AM Sunday, September 13, 2020 in conjunction with the annual remembrance service at Harvest Community Church, Mitchell, SD.

She was born November 28, 1935 on a farm near Fulton, SD, to Charles and Lela (Naser) Easton, the youngest of their six children. She attended Plano Consolidated School through the eleventh grade, then moved to Mitchell, where she graduated from Mitchell Senior High School in 1953.

After graduation, she was employed in the office of the G. F. Buche Company in Mitchell until her marriage to Glenn Cunningham on March 23, 1957. They moved to Pocatello, Idaho where Glenn worked on various pipeline projects and attended college, and she was employed by Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph as a service representative, the last seven years as supervisor.

In 1967 they relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma where they resided for the next 32 years. Norma worked as a secretary in the accounting department of Amoco Petroleum Company for more than five years, then left the work force to attend college full time. She graduated from Tulsa University, with honors, in 1977 with a BS degree in nursing. She immediately joined the staff of St. John Medical Center as an RN in the oncology/neurology unit. She retired in 1997 after 20 years at St. John’s.

When Glenn retired in 1999, they returned to Mitchell. She participated in several community programs, including Meals on Wheels, Mitchell Area Concert Series, and for many years was a volunteer advocate for the Mitchell Area Safe House. She was always willing and anxious to assist family and friends with their medical issues, whether it involved just advice or travel to physician appointments.

Norma was very active in the Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene. She was involved in the Helping Hand Ministry from its formation, and was Mission President for several years. She performed several tasks in the week-to-week operation of the church, and even assisted with some of these for a time after becoming ill. One of her great joys was delivering muffins to new church visitors.

She is survived by her husband Glenn, brother Ronald (Jackie) of Lebanon, OR, sister-in-law Carolyn Easton of Mitchell, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Wayne, Charles and wife Virginia; sisters Mildred Trabing and husband Earl, and Maxine Schmucker and husband Bernie, and sisters-in-law Rachel Easton and Delores Brookbank.

Memorials may be directed to the Mitchell Area Safe House in her name.

Arrangements by Will Funeral Chapel.