Norma Jean Knapp

Funeral Services for Norma J. Knapp, age 91, of Madison, Nebraska will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at St. John Lutheran Church Green Garden in Madison. Reverend Barry Williams will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. 

Visitation will be Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the church.

Resseguie Funeral Home in Madison is in charge of arrangements.

Norma Jean (Praeuner) Knapp was born on September 6, 1934, on the family farm south of Battle Creek, to Louis and Meta (Steuck) Praeuner. She passed away at the age of 91, on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Arbor Care Centers-Countryside in Madison.

Norma was baptized September 23, 1934, and confirmed March 21, 1948, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, rural Battle Creek. She attended St. Peter’s Lutheran School for grades one through eight, and was a graduate of Battle Creek High School, Class of 1952. Following graduation, she worked as a nurse’s aide at Lutheran Community Hospital in Norfolk.

On November 22, 1953, Norma was united in marriage to Milton Knapp at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. This union was blessed with four children: Donald, Robert, Janis, and James. After marriage, she became a member of St. John Lutheran Church rural Madison and remained so for the rest of her life.

Norma was a homemaker and worked alongside her husband on the family farm that he grew up on, northwest of Madison. Their children also grew up on this farm. Norma tended a large garden and did much canning and freezing of the bounties it produced. She made numerous jars of jams and jellies from the many fruits that were available during the summer season. She baked and decorated special birthday cakes for her ten grandchildren until they reached the age of eight. Of the eighty cakes she made, no two cakes were alike. Norma also put together doll houses for each of her four granddaughters and designed and made many of the accessories and landscaping for the houses.

In 1984, Norma and Milton moved into Madison to their home that Milton and their sons built. While living in Madison she worked at Countryside Home as a dietary aid for 14 years and as a teachers aid at St. John Lutheran School for three years.

In 2005, Norma and Milton moved to Norfolk where she served their condo association as its treasurer for five years. In 2006, the couple received the AK-SAR-BEN Pioneer Farm Family Award.

Norma was a devoted wife, mom, grandma, and great-grandma. She and her husband were truly blessed with a loving and caring family and always enjoyed time spent with them. She liked playing cards, doing genealogy, and loved Husker football. In her retirement years she enjoyed doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles.

Norma is survived by three sons, Don (Donna) Knapp, Bob (Carol) Knapp and Jim (Kristy) Knapp all of Madison; one daughter, Jan (John) Geary of Norfolk; ten grandchildren, Rod (Samantha) Knapp of Omaha, Jennifer (Jo-E) Morrison of Angleton, TX, Megan (Jeremy) Hassler of Wisner, Tim (Jennifer) Geary of Norfolk, Mark Geary of Omaha, Cody (Christine) Knapp, Ethan Knapp, Heather (Evan) Eucker, Kenton Knapp, and Gracelyn Knapp, all of Madison; 14 great-grandchildren, Allie and Bria Hassler, Andeline, Aidan and Samuel Geary, Kameron Knapp, Jo-C and Ainsley Morrison, Aubree, Maiya and Dawson Knapp, and Elise, Kara and Bridget Eucker; one sister, Irene (Melvin) Freudenburg; and several nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Milton on March 9, 2009; granddaughter, Lindsay Knapp; sister and brother-in-law, Martha (Maurice) Magill; sister and brother-in-law, Catherine (Gerald) Meisinger; and brother and sister-in-law, Arnold (Connie) Praeuner.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.homeforfuneralsinc.com.

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