Norman Wolford

Norman Wallace Wolford passed away peacefully on November 16, 2024, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester at the age of 86. He was surrounded by his loving family as he had been ill for approximately three weeks.

He was born in 1938 as an only child to Wallace and Nellie "Lucille" Wolford on a farm outside of Butterfield, Minnesota. Norm attended and graduated from Butterfield High School in 1956. In his younger days, he enjoyed bowling, playing softball and going to dances with Gloyd Jr. “Joe” Wellman, one in which he met his wife, Jeanine. Norman and Jeanine (Eigen) were united in marriage on November 25, 1958, in Comfrey, MN. After marriage, the couple relocated to St. James where they resided for a few years as Norm served 2 years in the National Guard. Throughout his life, Norm worked a variety of jobs but once things fell into place, he purchased a farm on which he worked with his dad until retirement. When Norm retired, they moved up to Morris, MN to be closer to a variety of lakes as he had a passion for fishing, particularly with his sons and grandsons. The annual fishing trip with family up north was always something he looked forward to. Norm and Jeanine spent time on the lake as well as traveling together. The couple returned to Darfur after 10 years and most recently found their new home in Mankato at New Perspectives after he survived open heart surgery. He was known for visiting his wife of almost 66 years every night in the memory care unit and caring for her until his health declined.

If Norm wasn't on the lake fishing, you could find him out in nature. He was an avid gardener and was especially proud of his flowers that he would grow in the various backyards of places he lived. Norm adored animals - whether it was watching the birds or feeding the cats that would gather outside of the house. He even adopted his favorite orange cat, Sam, who died almost one year ago.

Norm was a fan of any game - sports or cards. Throughout his life he played and coached the Butterfield 4-H softball team. One of his favorite past times was watching any and all Minnesota sports teams on TV. He also looked forward to Saturday night poker games with the Eigen’s and other card games with family or coworkers.

Most of all, he loved spending time with his family and supported his kids and grandkids in any adventure or activity. He looked forward to everyone's visit and always did his best to make them feel welcome. In his later years, Norm would always have chocolate chip cookies to share with those that came to visit as well as sharing them with the staff at New Perspectives. He had a great sense of humor and loved joking around with his family and friends.

He is survived by the love of his life, Jeanine; his children- Terry (Merry) Wolford of Mankato, Linda of Roseville, Wayne (Lisa) of St. Cloud, Steven (Valerie) of Rushmore and Scott Wolford of Michigan; grandchildren - Heather (Scott) Duneman, Heidi (Brian) Parrow, Michael Wayne (Kelsey) Monaghan, AJ (Brittany) Krupke, Nick Wolford, Jordan Wolford, Tyler Wolford, Carson Wolford and David Wolford; and great grandchildren - Alexis, Kira, Ivy, Bradley, Cecilia, Logan, Caison and Kinley. Norm was preceded in death by his parents; father and mother-in-law, Martin and Ann Eigen; and brother-in-law, Michael Eigen.

He will be dearly missed by all the people’s lives he touched throughout his 86 years. He displayed kindness, strength, and a deep caring especially for those who were less fortunate.

***Memorials are preferred to family.