Norman L. Sawyer

Norman L. Sawyer, 77, of Topeka, died Friday, July 5, 2013 at Plaza West Care Center. He was born June 14, 1936 in McPherson, Kansas. He was the first born and only son of Vardiman and Hilda (Lindquist) Sawyer.

He attended McPherson county schools, graduating from McPherson High School in 1954. He had hoped to be a farmer, and enrolled at KSU, receiving his BS in Animal Husbandry with a minor in Agronomy in 1958. He was a member of Beta Sigma Psi.

Having served as a Student trainer, he began working for the Soil Conservation Service upon graduation. He retired in 1994 after 36 years of service in several Kansas locations. His last position was as Area Resource Conservationist in Northeast Kansas. He then went to work for the Shawnee County Conservation District.

He was active in SCSA, serving in various local and state positions, and as delegate to the International meeting in San Antonio, Texas. He was presented the Outstanding Service Award at the International convention in Edmonton, Alberta in 1989. He also served in the Army Reserve and was a 4-H leader.
Church was important to him, and he served in various leadership positions at each of their locations, ending at Faith Lutheran, where he served as Spiritual Life Leader.

He and Gail A. Meyer, his college sweetheart, were married May 25, 1958 at Zion Lutheran Church in Leigh, Nebraska. To this union were born four daughters: Becky Lee, Deborah Blake, Suzanne Burris, and Barbara Hoppas; he is also survived by his Austrian exchange student daughter, Beate Eder-Jordan. Family was an important part of his life, along with a strong appreciation and preservation of nature. He taught his family the love of outdoor activities, games, photography, and genealogy, and the love of God. He was a survivor of cancer but he could not overcome Parkinson's disease, which he battled for 37 years.

In addition to his wife of 55 years and daughters, he leaves behind his sisters, Marie Seibel and husband Don, Janice Clark and husband Jim and Joleen Oordt and husband Jerry; 12 grandchildren:Erika, Avery, Tracy, Rachel, Samantha, Allison, Savannah, Brian, Jacob, Rylee, Nicole, and Mason, and three great-grandchildren: Alexandria, Ian, and Emma. Family was important, and much loved. Those who preceded him in death were his parents, and sister Virginia and her husband Cloyce.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 13, 2013 at Faith Lutheran Church, 1716 SW Gage Blvd., Topeka. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka. Norman will lie in state after 3 p.m., Friday, July 12 at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, 1321 SW 10th Ave. , where the family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to either Faith Lutheran Church or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.

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