Norma Rae Nill

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:28-30. Norma Nill (nee Norma Rae Grosenbach) was born February 25, 1948 in Boise, ID, to Glen and Lorena Grosenbach, and was the eldest of their five children. Her father was in the US Navy and the family moved often. Norma always enjoyed sharing childhood memories of living in places like St. Louis, Missouri, Guam, Washington, Maryland, California, Illinois, and Idaho. She graduated from Caldwell High School in Caldwell, ID in 1966. She attended Seattle Pacific University for 3 years and then transferred to St. Louis University, where she received a B.S. Degree in nursing, in 1970. Norma married the love of her life, Leroy (Lee) Nill, March 20, 1969 in Waukegan, IL. They had first met playing in the concert band at Seattle Pacific University. Together they were blessed with three children, Laurie, Matthew, and Rebekah. As a nurse Norma worked in a pediatric emergency room, in a neonatal intensive care unit, and in a psychiatric facility. Later, while Lee was working as a pediatrician in the US Navy, she accompanied him during his tours of duty at locations in the states of Washington, California, and Rhode Island, and in the Philippines. During the 1980s Norma and her husband, with their three children, served as missionaries with CBFMS (World Venture) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This involved the whole family moving to France to learn French, a language in which Norma became very fluent, then to Belgium where Norma and Lee both studied tropical medicine, and then on to Kenya to learn Swahili. In DRC the Nill family lived on a mission station where there was both a Bible school and a hospital in a rural setting. One of Norma’s favorite jobs there was manning the short wave radio. There was no phone service in DRC in those years, nor email, and snail mail was extremely slow and unreliable. For the families and personnel on her station Norma became the radio point of contact. She had daily short wave radio communications with other isolated mission stations and missionary pilots. Desiring close involvement with their children in their adjusting back to home culture as college years approached, Norma and Lee returned to the U.S. in 1989. During the 1990s Norma went back to Seattle Pacific University and received a second B.S. degree, this time in computer science. She worked as a computer programmer in national defense at Keyport, WA. After retirement, she devoted time to writing fiction and spending lots of time with her grandkids. She also was an avid reader and always enjoyed playing games with family and friends. Norma had a strong faith in Jesus Christ, whom she accepted as her Lord and Savior as a child. She liked to share her faith with others. For many years Norma, herself a gentile, moderated a Jews for Jesus online chat room where inquirers of all religious and ethnic backgrounds asked and discussed questions concerning faith in Jesus. Norma was open and friendly. She was very considerate of others and always took a genuine interest in their lives. She had a true gift for hospitality. She enjoyed singing and playing the piano at home and for church, and giving piano lessons to grandchildren. Norma and Lee lived in Edmonds, WA during the past 15 years. Norma passed away May 5, 2019 due to complications from metastatic cancer. She did not fear death, believing that it would lead to her finding a new home in the presence of God, but only regretted no longer being able to interact with those she loved. Norma is survived by her husband Leroy Nill, her children Laurie Ciolkosz (husband, Dan), Matthew Nill, and Rebekah Youngers (husband, Adam), her father Glen Grosenbach (wife, Mary), her brother Doug Grosenbach (wife, Becky), her sister Marla Clevenger (husband, Cal), her sisters-in-law Donna MacLean and Cherri Grosenbach, her brother-in-law Dennis Nill (wife, Judy), and her grandchildren Elisabeth and Susan Ciolkosz, and Lucas, Benjamin, and David Youngers. She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and by countless friends. She was preceded in death by her mother Lorena Grosenbach, her brother Blake Grosenbach, and her brother Daniel Grosenbach.