Funeral services for Norma Nell Riker, age 94, of Brownwood, will be at 1:30 PM, Sunday, August 27, 2017 in the Heartland Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in the Jenkins Springs Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday evening from 6:00 until 8:00.
Mrs. Riker passed from this life on Wednesday, August 23, 2017.
Norma Nell Black was born on August 26, 1922 in Brownwood to Stanley Mathew and Vida Belle (Bradley) Black. She graduated from Early High School and attended Howard Payne College. She married Army Air Corp pilot, Lt. David Riker on September 5, 1942 in Brownwood after being setup on a blind date. At age 22, Norma became a war widow after Lt. Riker’s B-24 bomber was shot down over Hungary. She had a young son and a daughter on the way at the time. Norma never remarried and chose to dedicate her life to raising her children and providing for her family. She went on to work as a rural mail carrier for over 30 years. Norma was a lifetime member of First Baptist Church Brownwood.
Family and friends were very important to Norma. She enjoyed bowling and bingo, but it was the social aspects of her life that she reveled in. She loved people.
Norma is survived by her son Ron Riker and wife Debbie of Weatherford; Grandchildren, Lari and Jason Foster of Colorado Springs, Colorado, David and Renae Riker of Brownwood, Texas, Brad and Michelle Riker of Rankin, Texas and Sarah and Michael Meisenheimer of Carrollton; great-grandchildren McKenzie Foster of Colorado, Zack Foster of Florida, Malorie and Nashid Beeny of Colorado, Levi Foster of Colorado, Ryan Riker of Brownwood, Chase Riker of College Station; nieces and nephews: Pat and Patrick Krenek of Brownwood, Barbara and Royce Rodgers of Blanket, and Ann Friend Harris of Brownwood
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband David Riker in 1944 and her daughter Judy.
The family requests memorials be made to First Baptist Church-Brownwood.
Condolences, memories and tributes can be shared with the family online at heartlandfuneralhome.net
