Norma Cecilia Ohlinger, 83, of Pocahontas, Iowa, was born on January 17, 1940, to Joe and Cecilia (Mumm) Munchrath on the family farm near Earling, Iowa. She was the youngest of four girls. Raised on the farm outside of Earling, she was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph's Catholic Church and graduated from St. Joseph's Catholic School in 1958.

On June 30, 1959, Norma was united in marriage to Cletus Ohlinger in Earling. The couple settled in the Harlan, Iowa area and to this union seven children were born. In 1977, Norma and Cletus moved to Pocahontas to co-own and operate Ray's Plumbing and Heating. While in Pocahontas, she ran an in-home daycare, worked for Pocahontas County Home Care Aide Agency, owned and operated Mode O'Day Dress Shop, and worked for both Brown's Supermarket and the Record Democrat. In 1985, Norma moved back to Harlan, where she worked for the Harlan Community School District until her retirement in 2001.

In 2001, Norma moved back to Pocahontas to be closer to her children. She was a member of the Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church and was actively involved in the Ladies Society. She volunteered at the Pocahontas Catholic School, the Rialto Theater, and was always readily available to help her family. Norma loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed going to dinner with her friends and attending Red Hat events. She particularly loved the annual girl's weekend trips, where she and her daughters traveled together.

Surrounded by her family, Norma went to heaven on September 9, 2023 at the Pocahontas Community Hospital in Hospice Care. In addition to her parents, Joe and Cecilia Munchrath, Norma was preceded in death by two sisters, Irene Schmidt and Virginia Reiser, and one grandson, Andrew Hartman.

Those remaining to cherish her memory include her seven children JoAnn (Chuck) Poduska of Overland Park, Kansas; Charlene (Wayne) Hartman of Gold Canyon, Arizona; Cindy (Dan) Murphy of Pocahontas; Kathy (Mark) Sernett of Laurens; Mike (Doug) Ohlinger of Council Bluffs; Lynne (Jim) Stoulil of Mesa, Arizona; Kelly (Dave) Jepsen of Pocahontas; one sister, Alva Mages of Panama, Iowa; seventeen grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, numerous relatives, and many friends.