Colleen Norrgran

Colleen Agnes Norrgran, age 92, of Erie, passed away on Thursday, February 8, 2018 at LECOM Senior Living Center. She was born on October 12, 1925, in Saint Paul, MN, daughter of the late Gilbert and Mary Heimer Herne.

 After graduating from high school, Colleen helped her parents by working in the family-owned grocery store. She later worked for the City of St. Paul, eventually becoming the Supervisor of Elections, retiring after 25 years. During this time she also ran a house, raised two children with Dan, Sr., and still found time to be a leader for the Campfire Girls and a den leader for the Cub Scouts.  Colleen lived in St. Paul until 1984 when she and her husband Dan moved to Sun City West, AZ, to escape the cold winters of Minnesota and enjoy retirement. After Dan, Sr., passed away in 1996, Colleen continued to live in Sun City West until 2011 when her health caused her to move to Erie to be near her son and daughter-in-law. While living in Sun City West, Colleen kept busy with bridge, going to Jazzercize with her girlfriends, numerous home improvement projects with Dan, daily walks, and performing with the Jazzettes, her dance troupe. After Dan, Sr. passed, Colleen travelled extensively, visiting all corners of the globe. 

She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and was an ace at the hard ones, doing 3 or 4 of them a day when in her prime. She continued doing at least one a day right up till her passing, when a crossword and a little chocolate were the highlights of her day. Colleen was a lifelong Catholic. Her faith was very important to her.

Colleen will be remembered as a kind and generous lady. She had an easy-going nature, a great sense of humor, and a very quick wit, right up to the end. She will be deeply missed.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Allen Norrgran, Sr., her son Daniel Allen Norrgran, Jr., and her sister and brother-in-law Patricia and George Abbot.

She is survived by her daughter Cynthia Norrgran, MD.(Fred Debrovner), and grandson Michal Norrgran Schafer, Franktown, CO; daughter-in-law Susan Norrgran of Erie, and grandson Nathan Allen Norrgran of Los Angeles, CA. She is further survived by nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff of Home Instead and, especially, the caregivers at the Greengarden house. They went above and beyond, caring for Colleen with love and compassion and we are deeply grateful.

A funeral mass will be celebrated in Sun City West, Arizona, and she will be buried in National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.  

Arrangements are under the care of the Burton Westlake Funeral Home 3801 W. 26 th Street, Erie PA 16506.

Send condolences at www.Burtonfuneralhome.com