Norma Margaret Skog

Norma Margaret Skog (nee: Turner) December 20, 1933 - August 29, 2024 Norma Margaret Skog passed from this world into the waiting arms of her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ at 2:34 pm on Thursday August 29, 2024, at the age of 90. She suffered from dementia and Parkinson’s disease in her later years but is now whole again. She was born on the family farm south of Camrose, near Edberg, Alberta on an icy, cold December day. Her father had gone for the doctor, but didn’t get back in time so she was delivered by her grandmother, Lena Turner. She was wrapped in wool, placed in a box, and put on the open oven door to stay warm in the cold farmhouse. She was the eldest of four siblings and had 2 sisters and a younger brother. Her early years of schooling were at the Big Four country school several miles away. She went to high school in Edberg, AB where she met the love of her life, a tall handsome farm boy named Vernon Skog. Norma and Vernon were married May 30, 1953, in Camrose and enjoyed 69 years of life together until Vernon passed away in April 2022. Vern’s work took them to Edmonton, Lethbridge, back to Edmonton, and then to Lloydminster, SK. Most of her life Norma worked as an amazing homemaker who loved to cook, bake, can, sew and garden. Later in life she worked for Vern’s business doing the bookkeeping. She lived a life of service - to God, to her family and to others. Norma was involved in Pleasantview Bible Camp run by her home church, First Baptist Church, Lloydminster. She was the camp cook for many years and grown campers to this day still talk about her fresh cinnamon buns and her porridge bread (made from left-over porridge). What the kids didn’t know didn’t hurt them!! Many of the aprons worn by the kitchen staff at many different Bible camps were Norma’s handiwork. Later in life, she and Vernon served the Lord during the winters with an organization called S.O.W.E.R.S. Most of their projects were at camps, orphanages, and Christian organizations. They would pack her sewing machine and serger, as well as Vernon’s tools in their motorhome and head south for the winter. Norma sewed drapes, chair covers, aprons and mended clothes in orphanages along with doing many other assorted projects. Not only did Norma serve her church community, but she lovingly served her family. She was known for her huge gardens, raspberry and strawberry patches. Sometimes the kids who were seen weeding in the garden or picking fruit were actually “serving time” for something naughty they had done! (Hee hee) She canned and froze the produce from her gardens to help feed the family. Norma was an accomplished seamstress and sewed many outfits for every member of her family, including Vernon. She sewed matching shirts for the entire family one year for the local fair (so she wouldn’t lose the kids). For her two daughters, she lovingly sewed their graduation and wedding dresses. One year matching clown outfits were sewn for Halloween, but most years she accommodated her children’s requests for their own choices of costumes. Once the four children left home, she would sew for people in need and did mending and projects for friends. When grandchildren and great grandchildren came along, she sewed clothes, doll clothes and doll bedding for them as well. Norma never learned to drive a vehicle (from behind the steering wheel…wink wink) so she didn’t have many interests outside the home. She did however love the sport of curling and participated in leagues with high school friends, through many of her married years with Vernon, or with the women at the Southminster Curling Club just south of Lloydminster. Norma was also famous for her baking…for family, friends, neighbours and camps. It was not uncommon to see boxes of homemade cookies stacked up high on the counter waiting to go to a Bible camp somewhere. She baked several ethnic traditional cookies at Christmas time and always made sugar cookies that needed to be decorated. Her daughters remember helping her decorate cookies in the wee hours of the morning. All three of them would be laughing and giggling so hard that they could hardly spread the icing! Even to the end, with failing health, her requests (often) were to make peppernuts for Christmas (even if it was June, July or August!!). She could never get it out of the back of her mind. Norma loved flowers and there were always some growing in the gardens and on their decks or patios. Upon retiring and moving to Holiday Park in Winfield (Lake Country), she did volunteer work at the park planting, weeding and watering all the flowers. When Norma and Vernon’s health started to fail, they moved into an apartment in Vernon, BC and then into their eldest daughter’s home. Norma resided at Creekside Landing nursing home in Vernon in her last days. The family wants to thank the staff there for their patience with and their care for Norma. Norma was predeceased by her husband Vernon, her son James, her parents Jake & Rose Turner, and her sister, Shirley Tallin. Left to mourn Norma’s passing and celebrate her home going are her three children: daughter Sandra (husband, Jerry Spoor), daughter Diane (husband Keith Wells), and son David (wife Susie). She leaves seven grandchildren: Jason Spoor (wife Jennifer), Jody Dixon (husband Paul), Stephanie Weir (husband Gord), Todd Wells (wife Katie), Tyler Wells (wife Jessie), Sierra Weight and Daniel Weight. Norma had 11 great-grandchildren: Jericho, Justice, Ezra, and Eli Dixon; Holt and Perri Weir; Jake, Audrey and Betty Wells; and Everlyn and Bear Wells. She is survived by her sister, Doris Johanson (late Alvin Johanson); her “one and only favourite brother”, Willard Turner (wife, Diana); her brother-in-law, Gord Tallin (late sister, Shirley) and numerous nephews and nieces. A service for Norma will be held at Fridhem Baptist Church, south of Edberg, AB in June 2025. Interment for both Vernon and Norma Skog will take place at that time. Any donations can be sent to Pleasantview Bible Camp, a charitable organization owned and run by First Baptist Church, Lloydminster Sask.