Norman W. Bittner Sr., 85, of Delavan passed away peacefully on Feb. 22, 2020, after a two-year battle with a respiratory illness.
Norm was born in Columbus, on May 18, 1934, to Victor and Luella (Yuds) Bittner.
He served his country from 1954 to 1957 in the United States Marine Corp as a rifleman. During his enlistment he received combat training, attended sea school and received the Good Conduct Medal as well as the National Defense Service Medal. His tour of duty included serving on the Navy’s USS Curtiss during Operation Redwing – the atomic tests at Bikini and Eniwetok atolls in the Marshall Islands – and included 17 nuclear test detonations including thermonuclear weapons and fission devices.
In his early years Norm was a dairy farmer with his father Victor and his brother Donald Bittner. He also spent time working for Chrysler, AMC and Swatek Oil. After leaving the farm he lived in Belvidere and Rockton, Ill., Evansville, Lake Geneva, Paddock Lake and for the past 25-plus years, Delavan.
Norm, in his younger years hunted deer and pheasant, he was an avid fisherman, he loved bowling, golfing, cars, old tractors and the Green Bay Packers. He also enjoyed playing the slots at the casino and playing cards such as Cribbage, Euchre and Sheepshead. A summer garden was always something he enjoyed, and he had a great crop of tomatoes on his patio this past year.
He is survived by his second wife, Linda (Jaschek) Crays; sons, Norm (Kim) Bittner Jr. and Chad (Katie) Bittner; daughter, Annette (Tom) Richter; and seven grandchildren, Evan, Caroline, Emma, Sam, Ben, Brian and Derek. He is further survived by many nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and longtime friend, Gail Clark.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Eugene Bittner and Donald Bittner; three sisters, Mary Jane Bittner, Irene (Louis) Weishoff, and Bernadine (Kenneth) Dahl; first wife, Joan (Kobeda) Smith; son, Myron “Mike” Bittner and daughter, Cynthia Bittner.
The family wishes to express their gratitude and thanks to the great people at the VA in Madison, the staff of Delavan Health Services and Mercy Health Hospice for their care and compassion, Monroe Funeral Home, and also to their friends and family for their thoughts and prayers.
Graveside services with military honors for Norm will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Hillside Cemetery, North Lewis Street, Columbus.
Monroe Funeral Home in Delavan is assisting the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Norm’s name may be made to the VetsRoll program at www.vetsroll.org
