A funeral service is 11 a.m. Thursday at FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral home for Gardnerville resident Norman Dean Wilson, 71, who died Jan. 22, 2010. A viewing is 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Born Dec. 9, 1938, in Great Falls, Mont., to John and Mary (Madden) Wilson, he grew up in Geyser, Mont. After graduating high school at 17, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He returned to Montana after his enlistment.
In 1960, he married Marjorie Baluka, and the couple had five children. He worked in the construction field, where he worked on the Minuteman missile system.
He married Roberta Knott on May 17, 1981. The couple lived in Hawthorne, Calif., where Mr. Wilson retired in 1994. The couple travelled in a recreational vehicle, visiting his mining claims in Montana, spending winters in Arizona, and working on mechanical projects.
The couple moved to Gardnerville in 1997.
Mr. Wilson is preceded in death by his parents; brother Bruce Wilson, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
He is survived by wife Roberta; sons Anthony "Tony" (Sandee), Norman "Dean" (Theresa), Robert "Bob" (Marsha), William "Bill"; daughter Linda; grandchildren Lindsay, Courtney, Brooklynn, Dean, Madison, Michael, and Dylan Wilson; brothers Jack (Ginger), Jim and Rick (Jeannie); sisters Barbara Bessler, Carol Faulk, Terry Messina and Rita (Jerry) Stulc; numerous nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; and his dog Willy.
A short reception will follow the service at the funeral home. Interment will be at Eastside Memorial Park in Minden.
