Norma Weik

Norma Ann (Tveit) Weik passed away peacefully at the age of 88 with her family at her side on May 24, 2019 at the Billings Clinic, Billings Montana following complications of an extended illness. Despite many health challenges Norma did her best to stay upbeat and maintain her playful sense of humor. Norma was born March 30, 1931 to Helen (Staska) Tveit and Sigvald Tveit in Mahnomen, Minnesota. Raised in the town of Mahnomen she enjoyed the closeness of a small farming community and lived with her family until she graduated from Mahnomen High School. She attended Concordia Lutheran College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and transferred later to Moorhead State where she earned her teaching credentials as an elementary school teacher. Norma's first teaching job was a second grade class in a small school near the town of Hibbing, Minnesota on the Iron Range. She was there for a year before moving to Great Falls, Montana where she taught second grade at McKinley Elementary school for 8 years. Norma was very active during those years traveling during summers, working in Yellowstone National Park, skiing and bowling. It was through her bowling activities that she met her love, Herb Weik, a young airman stationed at Malmstrom AFB near Great Falls. They were married in a small ceremony at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Great Falls on October 8, 1960. They celebrated 58 years of marriage in October 2018. Being the wife of an Air Force officer and eventually mother of 3 children Norma was very busy. She was quite active in assorted Officer's Wives projects and functions alongside raising a family. She was very proud of singing with an Officer's Wives Glee club called “The Pastels”. Norma held tremendous pride in her homemaking and coordinating a busy family. Through the military life Norma relocated several times starting in Texas soon after marriage. Norma packed up a growing family moving from Texas to South Dakota to Mississippi to England to Massachusetts and finally settling back in Great Falls. She held the family together as a “single parent” for an entire year, while Herb served in Vietnam before returning stateside and retiring from the Air Force in 1973. Norma returned to teaching intermittently as a substitute teacher. Once the family settled in Great Falls, Norma opened a preschool in the family home. She assumed the business from close friend Judy Nettles who was leaving the area with her family. The family basement was converted into a full classroom and she poured herself into her preschool teaching. The Weik family made one final move which was in 1985 to Billings, Montana as the children were in college and starting careers. In Billings Norma re-entered the workforce, but this time in the area of retail. She worked in a small women's clothing boutique which she thoroughly enjoyed and later worked for a local craft store before fully retiring. As “empty nesters” she and Herb adopted a golden retriever puppy they named Karlie D. Karlie enjoyed many Montana road trips with Norma and Herb and was a constant companion at Norma's side. Norma was very involved in her faith communities wherever she lived. She taught Sunday school, directed children's choirs, chaperoned youth functions in the church. She served on the church council in Great Falls at Our Savior's Lutheran Church (OSLC). Norma also volunteered for committees and participated in women's Bible study groups at OSLC and in Billings at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Family time and tradition were values Norma treasured and instilled in her family in so many ways. Holidays were filled with traditional foods and activities and so much joy. The home was always decorated for the season or holiday. She saw to it that her family had a warm and loving home and always added little motherly touches here and there from a note tucked into a lunch box to making sure each person felt extra special on a birthday or after achieving a milestone. She was extremely proud of each of her children and grandchildren and thrived on hearing stories from her family. Norma was very fun loving, enjoyed travel, social outings, loved music and dancing. Often, she would sing to her children and initiate dancing in the living room on a family Friday night. She loved to entertain and hosted many fancy dinners alongside her husband Herb. She was active as a member of several clubs including Newcomers in Billings and later the Big Sky Red Hatters. Norma frequently was working on projects ranging from cross stitching, sewing projects, and gardening to full blown house painting and re-decorating. Norma was preceded in death by her husband Herb by only 3 weeks, and by her brother Arvid Tveit. She is survived by her daughter Anneliese Weik (Seattle, WA), son, Dieter (Betty) Weik, (Ridgecrest, CA), daughter Karstin (Matt) Kliewer (Auburn, WA) and 6 grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Gladys (late Robert) Bain (Bismarck, ND) sister-in law Carol (late Arvid) Tveit (Sun City West, AZ) and brother-in-law Robert (Mariane) Weik (New York). At her request no funeral service was held. She was interned along with husband Herb on November 8, 2019 at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Washington State in a ceremony with full military honors. The family asks that anyone wishing to remember her with a donation please contribute to the Arthritis Foundation in her name.