Joy Norman Conrad

Joy Norman Conrad, age 92, of North Platte, went home to Heaven on Sunday, March 22, 2020.

Joy was born October 12, 1927. Three brothers had preceded her into the home of Earl and Georgia Curtis near Houston, Texas County, Missouri, and a brother and two sisters were to follow. "Joy" was chosen as her name, because her mother said, "Oh, joy!" after birthing three boys, and because her father had known a nice lady by that name and liked it.

Joy began attending public school at age 7. She and her brothers walked two miles to a two-room schoolhouse. By the time she reached 5 ^th grade, decreased attendance reduced the school to one room and the teaching of the upper grades every other year. Consequently, Joy missed the sixth grade altogether. She attended high school during the war years of W.W.II.

Following graduation in 1945, Joy went to Kansas City to apply for a civil service job and ended up working at a drug store and staying with a friend while waiting for approval. Her parents then asked her to return home to care for her mother. While helping at home, she began writing to a number of neighbor boys in the military service, most particularly to one Edward Norman, who was a Navy buddy to her brother Charles. Joy and Edward met at Christmas in 1945 and by February of ’46 were planning to marry.

Joy Curtis married Edward Norman in Houston, Missouri, on March 25, 1946, and immediately moved to the Western Slope of Colorado in the Yampa River Valley. Over the next 7 years, 4 children joined the home. The family moved multiple times and lived in much of the western part of the country. Ed died in 1987 and Joy ultimately made her home in North Platte, Nebraska. She married Lowell Conrad on January 1, 1991.

From her earliest childhood, Joy attended church and heard the good news that God loved her and had sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior. She confessed faith in Jesus Christ as a young girl and was baptized in the creek behind the church. She was determined that the people she knew and loved become followers of Jesus as well and prayed and worked to that end. Involvement in a Bible-preaching local church was of paramount importance to her.

After Lowell died, Joy’s health began to decline and it became necessary for her to enter assisted living. Further declension introduced her to the memory care unit at Linden Court and it was from there she made her final move, entering into the presence of Jesus.

Joy Curtis Norman Conrad is survived by her daughter, Luana (Frank) VanCampen, of Harvard, NE, and her sons, Melford (Millie) Norman, of Garden City, KS, Duane (Pauline) Norman, of North Platte and Royce (Cindy) Norman, of Anthem, AZ; grandchildren Todd, Nathan, Andrew VanCampen and Amy Gantz, Janelle Weitzenkamp, Jonathan Norman and Jamie Watson, Kyle and Ryan Norman, and Jennifer Zogleman; brother, Franklin (Norma) Curtis, of Arvada, Colorado; sister, Mary Ann (Klenn) Wylie, of Jackson, Mississippi; as well as 25 great-grandchildren, other family and many friends.

Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Georgia Curtis; newborn sister, Alta Mae Curtis; brothers, Earl Curtis, Jr., George Curtis and Charles Curtis; her first husband, Edward Norman, and second husband, Lowell Conrad; and two great-grandchildren, Abigail VanCampen and Lucas Norman.

Cremation was chosen. A graveside memorial service for Joy will be held in the Ft. McPherson National Cemetery on a date yet to be announced. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Maranatha Bible Camp. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.