Norma Jean Drews

Norma Jean Drews passed away peacefully at her home in Ottawa, Kansas on May 29, 2025. After waiting 13 years, Norma has gone to meet up with her husband, Loren Drews, and spend eternity together with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

She was born on April 29, 1938 on a farm in Chana, Illinois to William and Agnes Grover. William’s father immigrated to the United States around the start of the twentieth century from Norway and Agnes’s father came to the United States around the same time from Ireland. This represents the start of Norma’s life. Norma had two older sisters, Wilma and Evelyn and many aunts, uncles, and cousins that she spent her childhood growing up around. She was especially close to her grandmother Spratt and she told of her Irish ways and many memories over the years. Being a depression era baby, Norma always knew the value of a dollar. She remembered not being able to buy nylons, going without sugar at times and learning just how valuable potatoes really are! Although her dad desired a son, Norma being the youngest, had to spend time working the family farm and learned how to operate a tractor. She learned the difference between planting season and harvest, and as a result she developed a lifelong love and respect for farmers. She was a member of the church choir and was a lover of music. She played the piano and the organ. She was a member of her high school marching band and played the clarinet. She realized farming was not within her love. After high school, she attended secretarial school in Ashton, Illinois. At that time, women were not well accepted in the work force, but used her Irish determination and spent time working in Rockford, Illinois doing secretarial work. She met Loren shortly thereafter and they set the date in August to get married. She then moved to Olathe, Kansas to begin a new life with Loren. Her first years in Olathe were spent working in the insurance industry. Although Loren was still not earning a steady paycheck, with all the turmoil in the world, she got pregnant and began a new life as a mother and homemaker in the 1960’s. Once the children were old enough, she worked alongside her husband to build a new company named Allenbrand, Drews and Associates . After Dad could afford to hire a secretary, she went to work in the Register of Deeds office in Johnson County Kansas for approximately 25 years. After retiring, she eventually moved to Ottawa, Kansas to be closer to her children and lived out her remaining life. Through it all, she battled both lung cancer and heart attacks. She survived as survivors will. She lived through tornados and paid her son’s college tuition. She loved having her grandchildren and all the expense that goes with them!. She had a love of family and always held family first. She was an animal lover and after Loren’s passing, had two dogs as companions, Lucy and Katie, and a cat named Gracie. Enjoy your long deserved rest mom, your children miss you and will always love you. We will see one another soon again.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her two sisters, her husband and Lucy and Katie, her dogs.

She is survived by her daughter Deborah Lynn Drews-Spruytte, her son Eric Alan Drews, her grandchildren Brett Edward and Victoria Rose Spruytte, her great-grandson Hudson Edward Spruytte, brother-in-law and wife, Charles (Betty) Drews, nieces and nephews: Shelly (Aaron) Meschwitz, Nancy (Larry) Smith, Karla Richardson, Gregg (Shannon) Bodiford, Robert Bodiford, Dixie (Ronald) Gilliland, David (Jan) Drews, Michael Drews, Richard Souza, Clark (Kim) Drews, Patrica (Kerry) Mckee, and her cat Gracie, along with many great nieces and nephews,.

In lieu of flowers, you can make a donation to Tunnel for Towers at www.t2t.org in Norma’s name

After interment, please join us back at the church for a “Lunch for Norma”.