Vyrl H. Norman

Vyrl H. Norman, age 90 of Belle Fourche, died Sunday September 25th, 2011 at the Dorsett Regional Senior Care Center in Spearfish. Services will be held 3pm Thursday September 29th, 2011 at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche with Pastor Gail Arnold officiating. Interment will take place 9am Friday at Black Hills National Cemetery, near Sturgis. Military Honors will be provided by the Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard. Vyrl Harvey Norman was born September 24, 1921 in Lamar, Nebraska. He was the son of Harvey and Lillie (Cranwell) Norman. Vyrl grew up on a family farm near Lamar, and he attended high school at Imperial, Nebraska. During World War II, he served his country in the U.S. Navy. From 1942 to 1945 he was a member of the Navy SeaBees. He served in the South Pacific with the 44th Unit of the USNR Construction Battalion. On November 24, 1946 he was united in marriage to Patricia June Guildner at Grant Nebraska. To this union 4 children were born: Billy Harlan, Randall Lynn, Vyrla Lane, and Mitchell Dee. Following their marriage they traveled south into TX, OK, and Kansas where they worked as custom wheat harvesters. In 1953 they moved to Belle Fourche where they farmed wheat 50 miles north of town, near Crow Butte. In 1959 they purchased a farm 1 mile southeast of Belle Fourche. In 1968 they started their business, Norman Gravel Sales. They owned and operated this business until 1990 when they sold the business to their son, Billy. Patricia died in 1994. During the past several years, Vyrl has lived in Sturgis, until recently when he resided at the Dorsett Regional Senior Care Center in Spearfish. Vyrl served as the District 10 Commander for the VFW from 1968 to 1969. He loved to play cards, and for 30 years he enjoyed playing cards at Shea’s pool hall. In the 1960’s, Vyrl ran chariot races in the Northern Black Hills, including at the Black Hills Roundup. Vyrl will be met in heaven by is children, Lane (Donald) Keil of Sturgis, Mitch (Xiang) Norman of Albuquerque, NM, Billy (Sandy) Norman of Deadwood; 7 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and his two sisters, Lucille Crews and Belva Higgs, both of Apache Junction, CO. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Patricia; infant son, Randall; and 6 brothers and sisters. DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1921 – Lamar, Nebraska DATE OF DEATH September 25, 2011 – Spearfish, South Dakota FUNERAL SERVICE 3:00 P.M. – Thursday – September 29th, 2011 Funeral Home of the Northern Hills Belle Fourche, South Dakota OFFICIANT – Rev. Gail Arnold SPECIAL MUSIC Organist – Judy Howard “I Will Rise”, “Amazing Grace” Suzanne Keil, Trisha Pudwill, vocalists CASKETBEARERS Jeff Baumberger                  Evert Hill                     Terry Martin Todd McLaughlin               Randy Norman         Kevin Pudwill INTERMENT 9:00 A.M. – Friday – September 30th, 2011 Black Hills National Cemetery – Sturgis, SD MILITARY RITES Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard