Norman Dale Heinrichs (1939-2024) Obituary and Memorial

Life story

Norman Dale Heinrichs, known as Dale, was born March 10,1939 in Cordell, Oklahoma to Menno J. And Elizabeth Schmidt-Heinrichs. He was born at the end of the depression and the beginning of World War 2. He went to Corn Elementary school and later to high school at Corn Bible Academy where he graduated in 1957. He started piano lessons when he was 6 while also assisting with farm chores. He started playing for the gospel team when he was in the 8th grade. The Heinrichs family lived on a farm southeast of Corn.

He continued to take piano lessons and later in High School he took organ lessons. He started college at Tabor College for one year and later to the University of Oklahoma majoring in Vocal Music Eduction graduating in 1961. He then went to the University of Michigan studying Vocal Music Education for his masters degree. He began his teaching career in Detroit Michigan, then Dallas Texas, and Clinton Oklahoma. He did additional graduate study at Indiana University and Westminster Choir college. He continued teaching in Moore Public Schools, Putnam City Public Schools and finishing his teaching career in Weatherford Public Schools.

He served a number of churches along with his teaching. The churches he served were First Baptist Burns Flat, Oklahoma. Ridgecrest Baptist Dallas, Texas, First Southern Baptist Indianapolis, Indiana, Plainview Baptist Plainview, Indiana, South Memorial Baptist Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Putnam City Methodist Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, First Baptist Weatherford, Oklahoma, First Christian Clinton, Oklahoma. Southminster Presberterian Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Wesley Methodist El Reno, Oklahoma and Federated Church Weatherford, Oklahoma. He enjoyed his music career and being in the presence of beautiful people. He enjoyed a beautiful yard with flowers. He also had season tickets for a number of years to the Symphony Concerts in Oklahoma City.

Along with his music career he farmed wheat, cotton, and polled hereford cattle. He enjoyed raising beautiful wheat and cotton. He did not like tares in his crops. He liked his cultivated fields to be clean.

The highlight of his life was to adopt his lovely daughter Sarah Ann born in 1985. She brought a lot of joy to his life which continued to his death. He experienced some very tough experiences with the judicial system but God never betrayed him. He had a very fruitful life and experienced marvelous care in the later stages of life and was looking forward to his heavenly home. He belonged to the American Guild of Organist.

His survivors include friend, Faye Hinson, his daughter, Sarah Marshall, and husband, Erick, grandchildren, Brian, Emmalee, Collin, Leabella, James, Lily, Abigail, Titus Jacob, John Luke, and Rosemary. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Janice Friesen, and his niece Carrie Friesen.

Photos

See all 34