Lola E. (Norman) Ness

She was born at home in Bark River, Mich., April 13, 1925, daughter of Henry and Mary (Andersson) Norman.

At age five, she attended a four-room country school K through 10th grade. There was no school bus service until sixth grade so she walked 1.25 miles to school and back every day. After 10th grade she went on a school bus to Escanaba High School and graduated in 1943. After a class of 12 in Bark River, she adjusted to a class of over 200 students in her junior year. She graduated 12th in her class and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Lola attended Salem Lutheran Church in Bark River and was confirmed in 1937. She was a Sunday school teacher from age 15 through 18. After graduation, she immediately had a job as an account receivable and sales analysis clerk at the Delta Hardware Store – a wholesale and retail store which served all of the U.P. and a part of Northeastern Wisconsin with five salesman serving that area. The city hall is now on that property.

Lola met Roy Ness in November of 1943 and Nov. 24, 1946, after the end of World War II, they were married. Most of their courtship was done by U.S. mail letters. Roy served in the Coast Guard for 38 months.

When Roy started Roy Ness Construction and Sales in 1960 after having worked at the Ness Bros. since 1947, Lola became his secretary and bookkeeper until business grew and a bookkeeper was hired and she remained his secretary and office manager. They both retired in 1993 when Roy at the age of 70 built his own trawler and they traveled the Great Lakes, North Channel and the river system to Alabama and Pensacola, Fla. As they aged, they preferred to enjoy the boat and stay in port and traveled to Door County now and then.

Lola was an active member of Central United Methodist Church. She was chairman of the circle, president of the women’s group and was also vice president of the Marquette District Women’s Society of Christian Service.

She is survived by her children, Jerry (Faye) Ness, Pat (Al) Waeghe, Dennis (Connie) Ness and Richard (Melissa) Ness; grandchildren, Carolyn (Glen) Taylor, Nadine Waeghe, Nicole Ness-Blume, Shane (Charlene) Waeghe, Twins, Rick and Randy (Jen) Ness, Jax Ness, Krysta (John) Seder, Kevin (Krista) Warm, Sara (Ryan) Chenier, Carol (Dan) Keitzman, Mindy Heitz; great grandchildren, Samuel, Lindsey and Grace Taylor, Cory Michael, Cody and Carly Ness, Ty and Devyn Waeghe, Madison and Jackson Keitzman, Julia Knuff, Karl and Kaleb Warm, Rowan and Aylah Seder, Eva Chenier and Grady Ness. Also, special honorary “Granddaughters” April (Mark) Leadman and their sons, Justin and Corey and Hailey Bedard and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, Roy; she was preceded in death by an infant son, Timothy Mark; grandsons, Cory and Randy Lee Ness; and siblings, Eugene and Phil Norman, Linnea Suffion, Lillian Christensen and Connie Metko.

Visitation will be on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church, 322 S. Lincoln Rd., Escanaba. The funeral service will follow at 12:30 p.m. with Pastor Elise Edwardson officiating. A luncheon will follow in the church fellowship hall.

Burial will be next to her husband, Roy, in Lakeview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration to the Roy A. and Lola E. Ness Nursing Scholarship fund at Bay de Noc Community College or to the Central United Methodist Church Radio Room Program.

A message of condolence may be directed to the Ness family by visiting crawfordfuneralhomes.net.