Norman Leo “Norm” Sterling, 88, of Sauk Centre, passed away from congestive heart failure June 14, 2024, in St. Cloud VA Hospice after a brief battle with lung cancer.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial was June 18 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with the Rev. Greg Paffel officiating. Military honors will be by the Sauk Centre United Veterans Honor Guard following the Mass. Inurnment will be at a later date at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, formerly known as Camp Ripley.
Visitation was Tuesday before Mass at the church.
Norm was born June 3, 1936, in Elnora, Indiana, to Oliver James and Ada Ione (Brinson) Sterling. Norm had four siblings: Hazel, James, Lester and Ramon. James survives. Norm married the love of his life Alice (Jennissen) Sterling Feb. 23, 1963, in Pacific Junction, Iowa, and she survives. Norm and Alice had two children, James (Angela) and Teresa (Ian) Ferguson. Norm and Alice were blessed with three bonus granddaughters who filled their lives with more love and joy than imaginable. Shelbi, Sydney, and Stephanie were the apples of his eyes.
Norm served proudly in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1963, as a Strategic Air Command Elite Guardsman serving at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. After leaving the Air Force, Norm worked in the meat department at Baker’s Supermarket until 1965 when Norm and Alice moved to Indiana. Norm assembled transmissions at Chrysler Corporation in Kokomo. Norm was adamant that he move his family into a new home, so Alice and he built a house in Frankfort, Indiana, when Norm became a member of the Frankfort Fire Department.
Rising through the ranks of the fire department, Norm retired as chief in 1995, moving with Alice to their dream retirement home on Sauk Lake in Minnesota.
He enjoyed boating, deer hunting and fishing from his dock, especially with his brother-in-law, Joe Jimenez. After taking care of a 2-acre lot in the summer became too difficult, Norm and Alice moved to a townhome in Sauk Centre. Norm was blessed to live his final days at the St. Cloud Veteran’s Hospital, surrounded by compassionate and caring staff along with his wife of 61 years and his children.
Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Sauk Centre.
