Obituary of Norma J. Ortendahl

Norma Ruth Johnson Ortendahl of Jamestown died Friday July 21, 2017, in the Lutheran Retirement Home. She was born July 21, 1936 in Logan, Ohio to Jacob and Effie Locke Johnson. A 27-year employee of the Jamestown City School District, she retired in 2001 from Jamestown High School where she had served as school secretary since 1982. Her school career began in 1973 as school secretary at the former Jefferson Junior High School. In earlier years, she had worked as a secretary in the fields of insurance, accounting, law and furniture manufacturing. She was a 1954 graduate of Jamestown High School and a graduate of the Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston, Massachusetts. Her love of choral music began at an early age and was furthered by singing as a member of the Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir under the direction of the late Ebba Goranson. She was a long-time member of the Chancel Choir of the former First United Methodist Church, sang with "The Easter People" and had performed in choruses in Little Theater musical productions. She participated for many years in the Chautauqua Sunday Choir and the Chautauqua Regional Choir, including performances with the Chautauqua Symphony and had also sung with Jamestown Choral Society. She was a member of Christ First United Methodist Church, formerly First United Methodist Church, joining the church in 1949. She was a former member and past president of each of the following: Jamestown Lions Auxiliary, Xi Sigma and Gamma Mu Chapters of Beta Sigma Phi, and Jamestown Educational Support Personnel Association, serving the latter group in many capacities, including contract negotiations. She was a member of Viking Lodge 65. She is survived by three daughters, Lynne (John) Ecklund, Claire Tomassini and Janet (Rob) Holcomb, one son, Jon (Julie) Ortendahl, three granddaughters, Kristen Hoadley, Shannon Lingle and Megan McKinley, five grandsons, Ryan Ecklund, David Ortendahl, Trevor Ecklund, Matthew Tomassini and Andrew Holcomb, seven great-grandchildren, Aubrey Ecklund, Joshua Ortendahl, Drew Ortendahl, Liam Ortendahl, Harper Lingle, Harrison Lingle and Connor Holcomb, and one sister, Thelma Milton. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by one sister, Virginia Lemon; two brothers, C. Robert Johnson and A. Merle Johnson and a son in law Raymond Tomassini. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday July 29, 2017 in Christ Chapel of Christ First United Methodist Church, 663 Lakeview Avenue, Jamestown. Entombment will be in the Christ First United Methodist Church Columbarium. Friends will be received in Darrah Hall of the Church following the service Saturday. Memorials may be made to Community Music Project, 715 Falconer St, Jamestown, NY 14701 or Christ First United Methodist Church, 663 Lakeview Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701. You may leave words of condolence at www.lindfuneralhome.com.