Norma Jean Disterhoft

Norma Jean Disterhoft, 76, woke up to a sunny and bright morning with the birds singing in Heaven on Friday, July 10, 2026. Cremation Rites have been accorded. She will be laid to rest, back home, with her parents, sister Connie and many other Belgian ancestors at the Atkinson Cemetery. A private family ceremony will be held at a later date.

Norma Jean DeMay was born on September 10, 1949, the daughter of Lawrence and Marjorie (Dupre) DeMay, in Kewanee, IL. She was raised in Atkinson, IL where she and her family attended St. Anthony's Catholic Church. She graduated from Atkinson High School in 1967. After graduating, she attended Cosmetology School in Moline and then married her high school sweetheart, Mike Disterhoft and they moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana where they had their daughter.

As life has many twists and turns, years later she moved back to Illinois with her two younger children, Jonathan and Amanda, to start her life anew.  That is when she attended Black Hawk College to receive her associate’s degree in business. This led her to work for many years at Country Companies Insurance in Geneseo and then later retired from Hillcrest Nursing Home. But retirement did not hold her down as she worked part time for the BP Gas Station where she really enjoyed her time with the owners, coworkers and customers until she had to uproot and move to Iowa. Norma moved to Davenport, Iowa in 2021 with her daughter when she began her 5 year, courageous battle with Small Cell Lung Cancer.  She strived every day to push through every treacherous chemotherapy and radiation treatment- with tender hearted grace - and especially through the past few months.

The joys and worries of her life were of her 3 children, the strong bond of her 4 sisters and all her family and friends. Having to move to Iowa, it was inevitable she would become an Iowa Hawkeye football fan. But her love ran deeper for the Chicago Bears. The many joys and loves through her life were taking casino trips with her sisters, flower gardening (a master at mums), holiday gatherings with family and all the good foods, good fashion sense, Law and Order, Jeopardy and of course - Elvis. Norma had a sharp memory for numbers, ancestors and friends' names along with all the memories from growing up as a child all the way up through adulthood.  She dearly loved reminiscing about stories from the past. She loved spending time with her family. She lived her life based on being conservative, simplicity and ease along with a good work ethic that she learned from her parents.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Stacy (David) Eckley of Davenport, IA, Roy Jonathan Brown IV of Hudson, WI, and Amanda Jo (Ashley) Brown of North Carolina; sisters, Cheryl Webb of Canton, IL, and Janice Sullivan of New Jersey; grandchildren, Deacon, Jacob, David, Danny, and Brooke; and great grandchild, Ryleigh; and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Marjorie DeMay; and sisters, Connie DeMay and Kathy Downard.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Norma’s daughter, Stacy Eckley to help with funeral expenses.

The family would like to thank Genesis Cancer Care Institute in Davenport and the caregivers of Genesis in Home Hospice, Meadow Crest Apartment Community, daughter Stacy, and Aunt Betty and Marilyn for their continued care and love for Norma.