Ardelle Norgaard

Ardelle Norgaard passed away on February 3, 2023 under the compassionate care of the staff at Bourbonnais Grove and Riverside Senior Living. Born on December 20, 1923 in the home of her parents, Francis and Agnes (Fritz) Ruder, Ardelle enjoyed a pastoral childhood with her beloved younger sister, Celeste, on the family farm near Herscher, Illinois. She was a child of the Great Depression as experienced by a family working the fertile land in Kankakee County. Educated initially in a nearby one-room schoolhouse, she later attended Herscher High School where she met many friends, including her handsome future husband, Kenn. Having completed business school in Kankakee, Ardelle worked in Chicago for several years, while Kenn attended the University of Illinois and served in the US Army during WW2. Upon reuniting, they married at St Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Herscher. After Kenn completed dental school, they settled in Kankakee, raised 5 children, and enjoyed a long and rewarding life together. Social by nature, Ardelle loved ballroom dance, bowling, golf, and bridge, as well as traveling and visiting with friends and family. She was active in her community and church and served on the St Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary, to include one year as President, participated often as room mother at St Martin of Tours Elementary School, and assisted with the Brownie and Girl Scout activities as well as attending countless Little League baseball and basketball games. She participated for many years as a scorekeeper at tournament time at the Kankakee Country Club. Her sense of grace and style pervaded every activity and was the envy of her grown daughters. Ardelle is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Celeste Ruder Healy, and her spouse Kenneth O. Norgaard, DDS. Surviving to cherish her memory are her five children: Constance N. Pries, Patrice Fortin (Randall), Jeanne N. Tramm (Michael Hooker), K. Scott Norgaard (Barbara Hymer), and Jill N. Roberts. Also surviving are ten beloved grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The children of her dear sister also are holding her in their hearts. The family would like to express our sincere gratitude to the medical professionals in the Riverside Healthcare Network who cared for her with skill and sensitivity during her declining years as well as her many friends and supporters within the Kankakee community and within her church St John Paul II. For those in the community who remember Ardelle, we extend an invitation to a memorial visitation scheduled on Saturday, March 4th from 9 – 10:45 a.m. at Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home in West Kankakee. A memorial Mass, in her honor, will follow at 11:00 a.m. at St John Paul II West Campus. For those considering a memorial gift, suggestions include flowers, a memorial to St. John Paul II Parish, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or the charity of one’s choice.

Ardelle Norgaard

December 20, 1923 - February 3, 2023