Norva Frances Krogman Bennett age 94 of Wyoming MI formerly of Greenville and Coral went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Feb. 18, 2014. She passed peacefully at home in the care of her loving family.
Norva was born on November 7, 1916 to William and Geneva (Sickafoose) Krogman in Coral MI. Being raised on a farm she learned how to work the fields along side her family, with their horse Rosey . In her childhood she also helped pick many strawberries and other foods to help keep the pantry full. Norva attended and graduated from Coral School, she then pursued and received a teaching certificate at County Normal in Stanton and received further studies at Ferris State University. She taught at one-room schools at Gowen Settlement for two years and following year at Arbogast School. After that she spent two years teaching in Pierson at a two room school with Mr. Bob Merlington.
In the late 1930s, when electricity became installed in the rural homes, Mark Ellison Bennett was hired to wire the Krogman home. As the parents were in town shopping that day, daughter Norva was to show the electrician around the home. The sparks flew and they were married a year or so later on June 26,1940 with honeymoon at Niagara Falls and on to the Worlds Fair in New York City. Shortly after they purchased a farm in Coral and began their little family of 12 children.
Farming meant labor and long hours, canning and freezing, wringer washer- clothes on the line- iron everything 20 loaves of bread plus pans of biscuits, four pies for Sunday dinner, and meals for the harvest time thrashers all in the not so modern times of the 40s and 50s.
Even with the work-load, she still had all of her little ones clean and shiny, in Sunday School and church every week. She also taught Sunday School and was involved in the Coral Womens Club.
She was voted Woman of the Week in the Greenville Daily News in 1971.
In the early 1950s the Bennetts two sons were diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and she and the sons spent 10 summers at Camp Roy-el in Traverse City MI giving the boys a chance to experience summer camp as other children do.
These two sons created another opportunity for her to re-enter the field of education. With the boys no longer able to attend regular grade school, a van was purchased and Norva became involved the new Montcalm County program to school physically or otherwise impaired children. She drove upwards of 200 miles daily with the sons, picking up other students in the community, assisting the class room teacher for the day, then return the students home. She did this for 23 years before retiring.
Upon retirement, she enjoyed learning to paint with oils, giving each of her children her art-work. She was an avid writer and photographer, keeping 75 years of diaries and journals and up to date baby books on each child.
Through the years she had family devotions, spent much time in prayer and the study of Gods word and communing with her Lord. She was a life member of Cowden Lake Bible Church in Coral. After retirement she moved to Greenville and attended Calvary Baptist Church. When health failed, she moved to her oldest daughters home, Connie and Wayne Thompson in Wyoming MI.
She never missed a chance to share her faith with others, sending cards and letters of encouragement to family and friends each month. She was truly a Proverbs Woman and it was a privilege and joy to know her.
Norva was preceded in death by her husband Mark in 1979 after 38 years of marriage, her three sons, Jon Francis, Richard Eldon and Garold William Bennett, parents William and Geneva, brothers Stanley Dean Krogman and Leon and wife Verna Krogman, sister and husband Velma and Don Gage, grandson Carl W. Giddings, and one great grandson Matthew S. Shipferling, daughter in law, Diane Louise Bennett, sons in law, Earl Shipferling and Richard Jensen.
She is survived by her children, Connie (Wayne) Thompson of Wyoming, Lavonne Shipferling of Friends Wood TX, Joan Bennett -Jensen of Spring Lake, Roger (Cheryl) Bennett of Howard City, Linda (Jack) Monje of Greenville, Keith Bennett of Lowell, Marilyn ( Dennis) Giddings of Greenville, Alan (Dana) Bennett of Los Angeles CA, Curtis (Beth) Bennett of Mendon MI, 37 grandchildren, 41 great grandchildren, 10 great, great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday February 22, 2014 at 11 AM from Cowden Lake Bible Church, Coral. Visiting hours will be 2 to 4 PM and 6 to 8 PM at Hurst Funeral Home Friday and at 10 AM Saturday at the church.
Revs. R. Mark Shaw of Calvary Baptist Church Greenville and Larry Rolston of Cowden Lake Bible Church will officiate the funeral services.
Burial will be in the Spring at Coral Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to Cowden Lake Bible Church, 4481 Black Rd. Coral MI 49322 or Cowden Lake Bible Academy, 4931 N. Bailey Rd. Coral MI 49322.
