Norma Amelia (Tryon) Wanko died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 26th, 2018, in the arms of her loving husband of 72 years.

Born in Wadsworth, Ohio, October 30th 1927, Norma worked briefly at the Blue Tip Match Factory before graduating from Wadsworth High School. During a visit with one of her sisters she spotted a young man on a tractor working a neighboring field who made quite an impression and later became her husband.  Norma and Merle Wanko were married on November 26th 1945. They settled in Seville, Ohio, and raised three sons.

As an avid gardener of fruits and vegetables, she lovingly canned produce to feed a hungry group of friends and family.  Working with and often without recipes, the aroma of fresh baked goods often filled the home.  A variety of flowering plants, meticulously cared for, provided a beautiful landscape enjoyed many evenings from the cherished sunroom.

She worked diligently selling apples and cider for nearly two decades from the family's apple orchard .  One of her great joys was attending services at Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Seville, where she was a longtime member.   She was an exceptional quilter and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a country drive, a good meal followed with a sweet treat, and feeling the warmth of the sun on a summer day.

Norma was preceded in death by her parents, Olen and Leona Tryon;  brother, Foster Tryon;  sisters, Marie Fulton and Betty Stark;  and son, Kenneth Ray.

Norma will be deeply missed by her loving husband, Merle Wanko Sr.;  her children, Merle "Butch" Jr. (Ursula), James Michael (Mary);  daughter-in-law, Pamela;  as well as numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be Friday, May 4, 2018, at 12 noon at Jerusalem Lutheran Church, 9282 Acme Road, Seville, OH 44273, with Pastor Mark Sherwindt officiating.  Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Seville, Ohio.  Family will receive friends Thursday, May 3, 2018, from 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 p.m. at Jerusalem Lutheran Church and on Friday from 11 to 12 prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to Jerusalem Lutheran Church.

Arrangements handled by Armstrong Funeral Home Seville, Ohio.