Norma Jean (Townsend) Vedder, 89, passed away on March 16th, 2023 at Chase Center in Logansport, Indiana, after a lengthy illness.
Born in Fulton County on May 16th, 1933, she was the daughter of Walter and Mary (Wheadon) Townsend. As President of her class, Norma Jean graduated from Macy High School in 1951. Norma and Eugene Vedder were married on March 28, 1954. They shared 69 years of life's adventures.
A lifetime resident of Rochester, she co-owned, managed, and worked in many local eating establishments alongside Gene, including the Lakeside Inn for over 25 years, then later the Elks, Moose, Townsend’s IGA, and Akron Country Kitchen. Norma loved sharing her culinary dishes with family, friends, and customers, including her famous Swiss steak, fried chicken, noodles, salads, pies, and yeast rolls. She also loved getting into Gene’s fishing hotspots while on family vacations to Wisconsin and Minnesota. Norma was a longtime member of the Rochester First Baptist Church.
Left to cherish Norma Jean's memory are her husband Gene, two daughters, Sandra Vedder (companion Dan Shriver) of Rochester and Kathy Ford (Shawn) of Camden; two sons, Steven (Traci) of Mountain Home, ID, and Kevin (Holly) of Cookeville, TN; three grandchildren, Stephen (Tanya), Shelby, and Riley Robertson (Justin); and two great-grandchildren, Stephen and Tanis; a younger brother, Jack Townsend, and younger sister Carol Bitterling.
Preceding Norma in death are her parents, brothers Robert and Harold, and sisters Mary Katherine Gast and Donna Overlander.
A celebration of the life of Norma Jean Vedder will be at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 23, 2023 in the Good Family Funeral Home, 1200 West 18th St., Rochester.
Friends may visit with the family from 4-7 PM on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 and one hour prior to the service in the funeral home.
Dr. Mark Spencer will officiate.
Interment will be in the Rochester IOOF Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
Electronic expressions of sympathy may be made to her family at www.goodfamilyfh.com .
