Norma Grindstaff

Norma Grindstaff, a 92-year-old former Trenton/Tarkio resident, passed away at 11:02 p.m., Wednesday, January 8, 2024 at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Rock Port, MO.

She is to be cremated under the direction of Slater Neal Funeral Home of Trenton. A public memorial service will be held at the Edinburg Baptist Church on Saturday, January 18th at 3:00 p.m. Private inurnment will be at Henry Cemetery, south of Reger, MO.

Norma Jean (Leeper) Grindstaff was born March 11, 1932 in Trenton, MO to Claude Estel and Cecilia Irene (Arney) Leeper. She graduated from Trenton High School with the class of 1950, and later attended classes at Trenton Community College. She earned her LPN certification while working at Cullers Hospital in Trenton, and worked for several years at Wright Memorial Hospital after Cullers’ closing. She then provided in-home nursing care until retirement. Norma also previously worked at Lakeview Motel, where she learned to make a mean hospital corner that she passed on to each generation, and was a telephone operator in Colorado Springs, where she met her first husband, Orville Leon Palmer. Norma and Leon were married in 1956, and had 3 children: Kevin, Della, and Jeannie. They moved from Colorado to Germany while he was serving in the Army, and then back home to Trenton, MO. After a divorce, she worked hard and raised her 3 children on her own.

Norma met Arthur Floyd Grindstaff at the First Assembly of God church in Trenton around 1988. After several bible study meetings and church events together, he asked her to be his date to the drive-in Christian theater in Bethany. They were married September 30th, 1989, and celebrated 20 years of marriage before his death on December 9, 2009. 

Norma had 5 grandchildren, who all grew up spending time together. Family was important. She taught them all how to play cards and shared her love of games and the outdoors. Norma loved camping and fishing. She enjoyed gardening and being outdoors, and loved sitting on the porch swing with her coffee. Lots of evenings were spent around the table playing together or roasting hot dogs over a campfire. The family often camped together at Crowder Park or Thousand Hills.

Norma was kind, humble, and always smiling. She was devout in her faith and love in Christ and in her family. She was a strong, calming presence and she never, ever complained, even at her worst. Blindness didn’t set her back; she beat ovarian cancer in 2001, COVID twice, and barely grimaced through her heart attack in 2020. She was and will continue to be an inspiration, and will be remembered with love and fondness by all that knew her.

Besides her parents, Norma was preceded in death by her husband Art, brother James L. Leeper, step son Dennis Grindstaff, and great grandson Noah Auwarter. She is survived by her son Kevin Palmer (Fairfax), daughters Della VanHoozer (Tarkio) and Jeannie Campbell (Trenton), and daughter-in-law Loree Grindstaff (WA); grandchildren Amanda (Archie) Agnew (Fairfax), Josh Campbell (Akron, OH), Matt (Erica) Auwarter (Fairfax), Zack Campbell (Trenton), and Ashley (Shaun) McAlister (Independence), 12 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandchildren, 4 nieces/nephews, and 38 great (++) nieces/nephews.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Norma Grindstaff, please visit our floral store.