William B. "Bill" Norton

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.


How did we arrive here???  It is difficult to write this as "Bill's" story because this is just one small chapter that started about 2 weeks ago.  Judy and Bill had an amazing few weeks of traveling . . . celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary on Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina followed by a trip to Idaho/Washington to visit daughter Lori who was there on her sabbatical and to visit their friend, Mark, who took them to beautiful places across Idaho.  They returned back to Iowa and their busy work lives.  About the middle of November, Bill was tired.  Very tired.   Judy was concerned that he was sleeping most of the day so they went to the doctor.  He started to have some difficulty breathing and the doctor thought he might have pneumonia so they loaded him into the ambulance and took him to the University of Iowa Hospitals.  Many tests later he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called, "Burkitt's Lymphoma."  Bill decided to try a mega-dose of chemotherapy but within two days, he landed in the Intensive Care Unit and he decided to cease treatment and live out his final days enjoying his family, telling stories, and delighting in some of his favorite foods (including Whitey's ice cream).  As we all like to say, "He is still in charge." - asking for his dictation machine, Hall's cough drops, and giving each of his kids instructions for the future (just ask Lori about her list).


Please feel free to share your stories here - we will read them to him every day . . . and we promise to write the stories he is sharing with us here in the journal.  Check back often - for stories and more photos . . . we are just getting started to chronicle his story and help him on his journey.  Like he said to Judy the other day . . . "I'm still looking for my wings . . ."