Norma E. Mineo

NAPLES, FL – Norma E. Mineo, age 94 of Naples, Florida and formerly of Charleston, entered her heavenly home on September 16, 2021.  A Memorial Service celebrating her life will be held in Charleston at a later time.  Memorials in her honor may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Norma was born in Diona, Illinois on January 9, 1927, and was a daughter of John Riley and Nora Ethel (Stewart) Closson.  Born on her mother’s 36th birthday, she was the youngest of six children and was given the name Norma Ethel, after her mother.  Growing up she lived in Farmington (now Campbell) north of Lincoln Log Cabin State Park.  Her parents were owners of a small grocery store where the family of eight along with her grandfather lived in a small room in the back and two rooms upstairs.  Norma wanted to continue her schooling beyond the eighth grade so at age 13 worked for a family in Humboldt as a housekeeper so that she could attend high school there.  She completed her senior year in 1944 at Charleston High School while working at Wolff’s Drug Store on the square.  She then went to work at General Electric in Mattoon for three years and later completed a 26-year tenure as a typesetter at Moore Business Forms in Charleston before joining Bill in retirement in 1987.  Norma was a faithful member of Old State Road Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Charleston and a member of the Charleston VFW Ladies Auxiliary.

Family was a high priority in Norma’s life.  Following her marriage to Jack Pearson, Norma married William (Bill) L. Mineo on June 16, 1967.  They celebrated 37 wonderful years of marriage prior to Bill’s death on July 30, 2004.  Norma loved her family dearly and treasured many dear and special times spent with her loving and devoted daughter, Toni (Pearson) Trumper of Naples, Florida; her grandchildren, Jason Pollard (Yoshiko Morita) of Daisen, Akita Japan, Lindsey Trumper (Drew Sullivant) of Austin, Texas, Zachary Trumper (Maggie) of Oak Forest, Illinois; and great-granddaughter, Abigail Soza of Mahomet, Illinois.  She also loved her bonus family that she gained following her marriage to Bill which included her stepson, Gordon Mineo (deceased) and his wife Billie; five step-grandchildren, Jay Mineo (Shelly) of Brazil, Indiana, William Robert Mineo of Vine Grove, Kentucky, Tonya Combs (Donnie) of Northern Kentucky, Paula Barker (Mike) of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, and Amy Jo Bilangino (deceased).

Bill and Norma held similar interests and together participated in activities such as ballroom and line dancing, playing cards, cooking, traveling, camping, fishing, and boating.  They often camped at Lake Shelbyville and later owned a cabin at Lake Mattoon.  Their travels led them to many areas of interest including two European tours.  Bill and Norma were blessed with a wealth of dear and special friends.  They enjoyed many short excursions and winter trips to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida with the Keowns, Byrds, Newells, Vaughns, Swinfords, and Smiths, to name a few.  Following retirement Bill and Norma split their time between their winter home in Ft. Myers Beach and Charleston.

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