On Wednesday afternoon my mom called to give me the sad news that my grandpa passed away. He was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago and fought it all this time. I last saw him in November and his health seemed really poor then. My mom said it had just been getting worse and worse. So, I guess I’m glad that he’s in a better place and not in pain any more.

Growing up I wasn’t really that close with my grandpa, not like some of my cousins. My most vivid memories are of him being stingy and crochety and refusing to come to family functions, even on holidays. He was always telling us about the people he knew who were in the obituaries he read daily and I wasn’t old enough to know why, but I remember feeling uncomfortable with some of his old fashioned beliefs. Every time he wrote a check EVER he mumbled under his breath about how he was “signing his life away.” But we all loved him despite these things.

When I moved to California and New York and came back to visit grandpa would want to hear about what was going on and would tell me stories about when he was in the places I’d been while he was travelling in the military. I remember thinking, “Who is this guy? Shouldn’t he be complaining about the price of rice these days or something?”

I realize there was a lot more to him than I will ever know or that he would ever let on behind that exterior, I just never really got through to it.

Norder, Elvin F. (AL) (Bubber)

Elvin F. Norder, age 85, of Wisconsin Veteran’s Home in King, formerly of Bear Creek, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 5, 2006. He was born on November 25, 1920, to Maurice and Agnes (Ritchie) Norder. He married Dorothy Blanche Fuhrman on January 10, 1949, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bear Creek.

Elvin proudly served his country with the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a Charter member of the Bear Creek Lion’s Club; and was also a long time member of the American Legion and the VFW. He was employed with the Four Wheel Drive in Clintonville, retiring at age 56. Elvin owned and operated Norder’s Bar in Bear Creek from 1964 until it’s closing in 1974.

Elvin enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He also enjoyed fishing, playing baseball, pool and cribbage.

Elvin is survived by his eight children: Connie (Mike) Hackett, Appleton; Daniel (Paula) Norder, Bear Creek; David Norder and (Barb Yaeger), Clintonville; Wanda (Douglas) Bowden, Fremont; Mary (Richard) Bowden, Waupaca; Sue Williams, Appleton; Alice (David) Ehrenberg, Manawa; and Maurice (Debra) Norder, Caroline. He is further survived by his two sisters, Stella (Norder) and Robert Greely, Green Bay; Ellen (Norder) and the late Walter Babino, Clarkston, Washington; 19 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Norder, Bear Creek; his parents, Maurice and Agnes Norder, Clintonville; a grandchild, Douglas Bowden Jr., Fremont; two brothers, Milton and Ralph and a sister, Rita Norder, Texas.

The Funeral Mass for Elvin will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, 2006 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bear Creek with Fr. Paul Vanden Hogan officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Friends may call at the Cline & Hanson Funeral Home in New London on Friday (TODAY) from 4-8 p.m. and on Saturday at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service.

A special thank-you to the staff at the Veteran’s Home in King, and ThedaCare At Home for their care and concern of Elvin.

Cline & Hanson Funeral Home
209 W. Cook St.
New London, WI
920-982-3232
www.clinehansonfuneralhome.com

Our Memories

• I remember Grandpa Norder always asking me where my kids were, what don’t you know how?
• He would always ask my Mom and I who was the Daughter and who was the Mother and I always hoped I didn’t look like the Mother.
• I remember riding in a car with him and it didn’t have any seat belts.
• I remember him staying at our house for the winter and I woke up real early one morning and he was watching an exercise show with women in leotards and he was kicked back in the lazy boy chair certainly not exercising.
• I will remember him for his humor.
• He always asked me why we didn’t have kids too.
• I also remember him really liking having nurses around. When he went to the hospital, he’d always flirt and they’d say, “awe, Elvin.” They liked him too. He had a fun personality.
• I remember playing pool and listening to the juke box by the wood stove in the bar.
• I remember eating corned beef hash from a can in the house above the bar.
• I remember that he always had candy or cookies for us.
• I remember his toilet not working and having to use a pail of water to flush it.
• I remember that he used to butter bread with the leftover bacon fat.
• I remember playing cribbage with him after school in his apartment in New London.
• I remember that he always watched wheel of fortune, mostly to see Vanna White.
• I remember him throwing our cat across the kitchen because it jumped on his lap.
• I remember how much he loved us and how much we all loved him.
• If someone dropped something, or the door slammed, or the phone rang, grandpa always would yell out and jumped 3 feet in the air.
• When we were really young, we had our family Christmas parties at the bar. There were always large nuts with their shells on and nutcrackers that I could never properly use. We got gifts from our godparents that night and got to run around playing pool and listening to the jukebox. As little kids we couldn’t play pool and our older cousins (Pete! Pat!) would yell at us if we played with the balls on the table. My favorite song on the jukebox was called “Big Fanny.” We got to drink a lot of soda.
• In grade school I had to interview Grandpa for a class. He told me about the Army. And how there was no money during the depression and he had to fish in the river for anything he could get, even crawfish (i think?) and eat it. I thought that was the grossest thing ever. I wish I knew where that cassette tape was now, not that I have anything that would play it.
• One Thanksgiving he refused to come over to the house where we were all celebrating so we made up a plate, put plastic wrap on it and took it to his apartment.
• Grandpa refused to spend any money on anything. Some of his clothes were literally decades old.
• I remember making macaroni cheese without the milk
• I remember having to pay for a phone call but a soda was free
• I remember playing records on his juke box
• I remember him storing my bike for days
• I remember riding to his house and then him giving me a ride to work
• I remember him picking me up from work
• I remember him shopping only when I was working
• I remember him teaching me cribbage and winning and losing (bad)
• I remember jumping on the dock to watch the minnows swim away
• I remember crank callers giving him a hard time about his fridge and he giving it right back
• I remember singing older songs like How much is that doggie in the window
• I remember him driving so slow I thought he’d get a ticket
• I remember crying when I found out he had cancer
• I remember having a discussion with him about not being old until you’re 80 now he’s 85
• I remember, a few years ago, us wanting him to hold on until his birthday
• I remember eating ice cream at his house
• I remember him commenting on how much we weighed or didn’t
• I remember doing his dishes
• I remember him knowing everything about the neighbors but never leaving his house
• I remember him waking up from a nap to answer the door
• I remember him talking with Jeff about baseball
• I remember him checking the paper and soda machines for money
• I remember him shopping for deals and using coupons
• I remember him mad when we bought him a microwave and he was mad
• I remember his shirts had holes in them because they were so old
• I remember him claiming I broke his back-scratcher
• I remember visiting with Brina
• I remember him having a very clear mind
• I remember Aunt Mary taking him to the doctor’s office and he didn’t make an appointment
• I remember when he almost lost his license because he hit a car and couldn’t really turn his neck to check for traffic
• I remember interviewing him in 8th grade; where is that tape or report?
• I remember going through letters written by his brothers during the war
• I remember talking about the olden days- you could always get him to talk about the past
• I remember him driving me out to Aunt Mary’s house
• I remember when he forgot my name on Friday and remembered it on Saturday
• I remember being 916 miles away