Obituary for Norma Suggs

Norma Erlyne Holmes Suggs, longtime resident of Ponca City, died May 11, 2014, at Via Christi Retirement Village, after a long, tragic battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 92 years old. The daughter of Earl Vernon and Leora Williams Holmes, Norma was born November 20, 1921, in Stillwater, OK. A musical prodigy, Norma began her career as church organist at Stillwater’s First Methodist Church at the age of 16. She graduated from Stillwater High School in 1939, and she earned a BA, majoring in music, from Oklahoma A&M in 1943. Norma and Collierville, TN native, James Ralph (Jim) Suggs, were married in Stillwater on June 16, 1946. They met at Oklahoma A&M while Jim was going through part of his military training before being sent overseas to fight in World War II.

After their marriage, Norma and Jim stayed in Stillwater while Jim completed his masters degree at Oklahoma A&M in 1950. Following his graduation, they briefly lived to Goodwell, OK, where Jim taught woodworking at Panhandle A&M. In 1952, they settled permanently in Ponca City, when Jim was hired to teach woodworking at East Junior High. Norma was the organist at Ponca City’s First United Methodist Church from 1954 until her retirement in 1978.

While in college Norma became a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, International Professional Music Fraternity for Women. She was also a long time member of Ponca City Federated Music Club.

Preceded in death by her parents, Norma is survived by her husband, Jim, who resides at Ponca City Nursing and Rehab Center; her two children, Bob Suggs and his wife Barbara Lee, of Annapolis, MD; Carole Bender and her husband Jack, of Tulsa, OK; and by two grandchildren, Christopher Humphrey, of New York City; and Milana Zettel and her husband Kerry, of Seattle, WA.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00PM on Thursday, May 15, in the Chapel at Trout Funeral Home and Crematory. Interment will take place at a later time at Resthaven Memorial Park, Ponca City.

Source: Trout Funeral Home