Norman was born on March 24th, 1932 and passed away on November 23rd, 2025 at the age of 93.
Norman O. Fink, 93, of Sumner and formerly of Janesville and Westgate, Iowa, died Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Cobblestone Court Assisted Living in Sumner, Iowa.
Funeral Service: 10:30 A.M. Monday, December 1, 2025, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Westgate, with Rev. Kent Peck officiating.
Visitation: 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein, Iowa and for one hour before the service on Monday at the church.
Interment: St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery, Westgate with military honors by the Messerer-Fox American Legion Post #92 Honor Guard of Westgate.
Norman Otto Fink was born March 24, 1932, in rural Fairbank, Iowa, the son of Otto Paul and Hilda Margaret (Hill) Fink. He and his family migrated to the Westgate area when he was 2 years old. Norman attended Fremont #8 country school, St. Peter Lutheran Parochial School and was confirmed in his faith in 1946. He graduated from Maynard High School in 1950. In 1953, Norman enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served during the Korean Conflict. He returned home in 1954 to start farming with his dad and was a lifelong farmer in the Westgate area. On August 26, 1956, he was united in marriage to the love of his life Dorothy P. Heilman. They began their life together on the family farm and were blessed with 5 children, Deb, Jeryl, Brian, Julie and Linda. Norman loved to travel, exploring various sites in the United States with Dorothy and visiting Russia on his own. Dorothy died on September 10, 1990. He also volunteered at Allen Hospital. It was there he met Arvylla Carpenter, a fellow volunteer. They were married on February 18, 1995.
His life continued in Janesville, semi-retiring from farming, beginning new adventures of travel (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia/China, South America and many of the states) and working with the Nomads with Arvylla, assisting in needy areas of the United States. Arvylla passed away in February of 2019. Norman lived his life of faith for his family, his church, being a steward of the land, with dairy and hogs and his community. He wore many hats in addition to family and farming, grave digger, extra farm hand, furnace installer, plumber, electrician, welder and carpenter to provide for his family. He was a lifelong member and office holder of St. Peter Lutheran Church, Fayette County’s Extension Council and the Westgate American Legion.
Norman loved his independence as a farmer, tinkering, inventing ways to make farming easier, learning new things for the sake of learning, playing 3 card rummy with family, going to concerts, and spending time with his family and friends, and later in life visiting homebound friends.
Norman is survived by his 4 children: Deb (JR) Schemmel of Vinton, Jeryl (Rhonda) Fink of Sumner, Julie (Rudy) Schaff of Westgate and Linda (Curt) Sparks of Waterloo; 10 grandchildren: Kyle Schemmel, Austin Fink (Katie Coughlin), Eric (Jamie) Fink, Sarah (Cuong) Dang, Anne Schaff, Rebecca (Rev. Peter) Wagner, Carol (Dr. Michael) Schrodt, Thea Schaff, Vance Mundy and Vinnie Mundy; 13 great grandchildren; sister: Alpha Wuertz of Longmont, Colorado; sisters-in-law: Doris Sieck of Maynard, Janet Seay of Evansville, Indiana and Eva Heilman of Evansville, Indiana; several nieces and nephews; and 3 stepchildren: Dan (Teresa) Shere of Evansdale, Dianne (Gordy) Howe of Shell Rock and Emily (Jim) Stensland of Cedar Falls
He was preceded in death by his parents; son: Brian Kent Fink in 1960; stillborn daughter: Jane Fink; 2 wives: Dorothy Fink in 1990 and Aryvlla Fink in 2019; son-in-law: Warren Mundy; 3 brothers: Arlen Fink, Lyle Fink and Dale Fink; in-laws: Don Wuertz, Dorothy Elizabeth Fink, Gene Sieck, Eloise Michel, Albert Michel, Valada Smith, Bill Smith, Arnold Heilman; and parents-in-law: Rosena and Paul Heilman.
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