Norman Heit

Norman Clarence Heit age 79 of New Hampton, IA died Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at MercyOne North Iowa in Mason City, IA. A private family Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Family Parish in New Hampton with Rev. Brian Dellaert celebrating the Mass. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in New Hampton with Jake Heit, Jared Bunn, Alex Bunn, Scott Bunn, Todd Mitchell and Jacob Heit serving as pallbearers. A public celebration of life will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory, and online condolences for Norman’s family can be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com. Norman was born on November 7, 1941, to Raymond and Sarah (Burgart) Heit in New Hampton, Iowa and he grew up on a farm with his two brothers and one sister. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School through the eighth grade and then transferred to New Hampton High School, where he was a member of the Class of 1959. After graduating from high school, Norman spent a year working as a hand on a ranch in western Nebraska, and he always fondly looked back on that year; in fact, last summer he crossed one item off his “bucket list” when he returned to visit the ranch for the first time in 56 years. In 1961, he met Mary Ann Drilling at a dance in Lawler, and the two began dating, fell in love and exchanged wedding vows on September 7, 1963, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Waucoma. Their family grew to include Carolyn, Brian, Michelle and Steve, and Norman’s children remember growing up in a home with a father who was a hard worker, strong, a smart businessman and who could fix anything. That included the animals on the farm; in fact, on more than one occasion the veterinarian would ask Norman, “Why did you call me, you already figured it out?” Norman was quiet yet also quick-witted. He had a contagious smile, and his children will always remember the twinkle in his bright blue eyes. In addition to farming, he worked at the Chevy garage in New Hampton and spent 25 years as the service manager at the John Deere Implement in New Hampton. He never really retired, though, as he continued to work on the farm throughout his life. Norman had a host of hobbies — ranging from woodworking to rose gardening to raising horses to being outdoors to fishing in Minnesota hunting deer in Wyoming (in his younger years) to target shooting with his grandchildren. He was a one-of-a-kind grandfather, who had a talent for loving each of them individually. Their interests were his interests, and he loved spending time with them and his great-grandchildren — giving them tractor rides and checking on the fields and gardens and they always knew that their grandfather had M&Ms in his shirt pocket for them. Norman, first and foremost, was a family man. He used his talented hands to build and make things for the people he loved, and it was always a good day for Norman when he and Mary Ann took a drive together. He had a deep faith, and Carolyn, Brian, Michelle and Steve will tell you that they never missed an 8 a.m. Sunday Mass when they were growing up. He and Mary Ann attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church until it closed in 2014 when they became members of Holy Family Parish. Norman was a friend to all, and he would drop everything to help those in need. His legacy will live on through his wife of 57 years, his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren and the bountiful amount of friends he made through a life well-lived. He was fiercely loyal to his family, and the sadness they feel with his passing is comforted by the fact that they know he is now with Jesus in Heaven. Norman is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of New Hampton, IA; two sons, Brian Heit of Van Horne, IA, Steve (Ramona) Heit of Newhall, IA, two daughters, Carolyn (Todd) Mitchell of Center Point, IA, Michelle (Scott) Bunn of Mason City, IA; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren with two on the way; two brothers, Melvin (Jeanette) Heit of New Hampton, IA, Gerald (Jeanne) Heit of New Hampton, IA; sister, Maxine (Chuck) Shekleton of Farmersburg, IA; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother in infancy; two grandchildren.