St. George, Utah - Norma Alice Ricks Durfey, 88, passed away peacefully March 22, 2012. She was born April 28, 1923 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Hyrum Ricks, Jr. and Alice Ovanda Cheney. She had seven brothers and one sister. As a young girl and teenager, she was raised in Huntington Park, California. After her father passed away, the family moved to Provo, Utah. There she and her sister Wanda attended Brigham Young High School. For a time the family lived in the Henry Eyring home as the Eyrings were away on scientific business. It was there on a Sunday morning while getting ready for church that they heard the announcement by radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. This marked the beginning of World War II for the United States. After high school graduation, Norma worked for a time for Geneva Steel as a typist earning enough money to go to school to fulfill her life long dream of going to college and becoming a nurse. She attended Brigham Young University taking undergraduate classes. At that time Brigham Young University did not have a nursing program, so she applied and was admitted into the School of Nursing at The University of Utah. It was while there that she joined the Military Nursing Cadet Program and graduated as a Registered Nurse. She described that day as one of the happiest days of her life. She loved taking care of the sick as a nurse and felt blessed to be able to help people in that way. She met her husband, Cline Durfey, while working at the BYU Health Center. They were married for time and all eternity June 4, 1951 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They enjoyed 60 very happy and adventurous years together. Norma received a Bachelors Degree from the University of Utah in Nursing. She also earned a Masters Degree from Brigham Young University. And a second Masters Degree in Public Health from UCLA. Norma was the Director of Nursing over 115 nurses at the hospital in San Jose, California, while her husband earned two Degrees. She then taught nursing at Brigham Young University while Cline earned his Doctors Degree. She also enjoyed working as a School Nurse, helping children. Norma served five missions. Prior to marriage, she served a Stake Mission. After their retirement, she and Cline served four missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They served a Genealogy Mission in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, two Temple Missions in the St. George Temple and as the East Stake Employment Specialists. She spent many happy times traveling around the USA and throughout the world with Cline. Her favorite place to visit was the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. She loved her family and the gospel of Jesus Christ and wanted to be honest and always do what was right. Wherever she was it was her desire to give service to others. She had a compassionate spirit and was very generous to the needy. Norma was truly an elect daughter of God, a beautiful and choice spirit who was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by all. Norma is survived by her husband, Cline Durfey; her daughter, Carol Durfey Bracken (Stanford A.); grandchildren: Richard (Aileen) Bracken, Bethany (Blair) Williams, S. Scott (Valerie) Bracken, Rebecca (R. Benjamin) Crosby, Jennifer (Derrick) Hull, Chris (Star) Jones, Darron Jones and Steven Jones; and 17 truly great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers: Welby, Artel and Clyde Ricks. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Marvin, Marc, LaVell, and Eldon Ricks; sister, Wanda; and daughter, Ruth Durfey Jones. Funeral services will be held Friday, March 30, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the St. George LDS East Stake Center, 449 South 300 East, St. George, Utah. Visitations will be held Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd and on Friday, prior to services, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the East Stake Center. Interment will follow at the St. George City Cemetery.