James Matt Norton

James Matt Norton

June 6, 1933 - April 3, 2025

Jim Norton loved to tell stories from his life experience, beginning with his birth story. He was born on June 6, 1933 in McGregor, MN, and soon after was taken to the hospital in Aitken, MN because he wasn’t keeping any milk down. It was determined that Jim’s intestines were badly twisted but the Aitkin doctor had no idea how to treat this. Remarkably, he had recently heard about this kind of condition and called a doctor in New York. Even though he had no prior experience, he was advised to do surgery on the infant in order to straighten out the intestines. Jim’s parents were home in McGregor with his 3-year old sister. They had no way to receive news of Jim’s condition but the U.S. Postal service. They received a card telling them that baby Jim had survived the surgery and they could soon come get their baby.

Jim grew up on a farm near Sauk Centre, MN. From a very early age he was hunting, trapping, fishing, and horseback riding. He loved the outdoors, and one of his favorite little stories to tell was about him sitting at his school desk, looking out the window while the teacher “jabbered” on, and saying to himself, “What the hell am I doing in here?!”

Perhaps the most fruitful thing that farm produced was the self-reliance and strong work ethic of the young Jim Norton. He proudly shared the story of his seven-year-old self raising a pig and selling it at auction. He said it was then that he realized he had what it took to support himself and make something of his life.

After graduating high school he worked for a year in construction before joining the Army in 1953. He served for two years at Fort Benning, Georgia, as an MP. During basic training the officer leading his unit on a ruck march got lost. In Jim’s words, “I told the captain he was going in the wrong direction. I knew exactly where we were, and I said ‘I’m an old coon hunter and I can get us back to the base.’” For that, Jim got a rifle butt slammed against his neck. This story was shared a lot since Jim was convinced that it was the cause of the neck pain he struggled with his whole life.

After the army Jim took training in air conditioning and refrigeration at Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. In the summer of 1956 he was working on a road crew in west-central Minnesota. He and his workmates frequented a drugstore in Pelican Rapids, MN, and it was there that he shared an ice-cream with Phyllis Anderson whose sister, Ione, was working at the store. He finished his studies in 1957 and they married in 1958.

Jim started his career in Wausau, WI working for Jerry’s Refrigeration. It was in Wausau that the first daughter, Lynn, was born. In 1960 the family moved to Alexandria, MN where Jim took a position with Ace Refrigeration. In the coming years, four more daughters were born, Shari, René, Cathy, and Debbie. Then, in 1967 Jim bought Ace Refrigeration, changing the name to Norton’s Refrigeration.

The five girls were raised in the house Jim and Phyllis purchased in 1961 on route 1 (later named Van Dyke Road). Recognizing that he had a small work crew, Jim started purchasing and managing Alexandria area properties. Phyllis and the girls were frequently found painting, mowing, moving snow, or cleaning houses, trailer homes, gas stations and small warehouses. Jim even purchased Funland Mini Golf in 1972 so that his girls could experience employment at a young age and learn self-reliance and hard work just like he did as a kid.

Jim joined a bowling team shortly after moving to Alex in 1960, and bowled with the same guys for several years. He said that in spite of long work days he never missed league bowling. He’d screech into the driveway, make a quick change of clothes, and run out the door heading to Garden Center. Some of his fondest memories were of bowling in ABC tournaments in California, Chicago, and Tennessee.

After selling his business in 1985 Jim and Phyllis enjoyed opportunities to travel. Some of their favorite trips were to Alaska, Hawaii, Jamaica, Kenya, Norway, and Finland.

Retirement also gave him more time to fish, hunt, and work on old cars. At the age of 77 he was an instrumental figure in getting the Alexandria Area Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing started. He was also a member of the Alexandria Vintage Car Club, and loved to show off his 1967 Ford truck that he refurbished, painted red like his original Norton’s Refrigeration vehicles. Up until October of 2024 he was tinkering with his 1957 Oldsmobile.

In 1999 Jim and Phyllis built a new home just up the road and 3x the size of the Van Dyke Road house. Jim loved being involved in building his house, doing the tree removal and excavation, as well as some of the interior work. And nothing made him happier than his growing family gathering in this roomy house.

When Phyllis required more daily living assistance she moved into Windmill Ponds in June 2024. Jim, however, was not ready to leave his beloved house. Daughter Debbie moved into the house in September 2024, caring for his basic needs. As things progressed, by March 2025 the sisters, Moments Hospice, and VA Respite Care came alongside Debbie to assist with Jim’s needs. He was moved to Nelson Care Center by Vivie on March 31 where he died with family by his side on April 3, 2025.

Jim is survived by his wife of 67 years, Phyllis LaVonne (Anderson) Norton; his daughters: Lynn (Bill) Thoennes of Alexandria, MN, René (Phil) Johnson of Eagle Harbor, MI, Cathy (Dennis) Leipzig of Miltona, MN, and Debbie Norton of Alexandria, MN; and eleven grandchildren along with thirteen great-grandchildren: Jacob (Sherri) Thoennes of Sauk Centre, MN and their children James, Jax and Jaelyn, Becky Thoennes of Alexandria, MN, and her boys Brody and Beau, Jordan (Shania) Thoennes of Alexandria, MN, and their daughter Lyrik, Brent (Cassie) Widmark of Shoreview, MN, and their children Josie and Archie, Brian (Leah) Widmark of Wausau, WI, and their children Ella and Milo, Britta (Nick) Muschinske of Wausau, WI and their children Etta Mae and Fletcher, Bryce Widmark of Wausau, WI, Simon (Amy) Youngbloom of Tacoma, WA, and their daughter Vivian, Neal (Ellyn Hurst) Johnson of Port Angeles, WA, Ella Leipzig of Milwaukee, WI, and Parker Leipzig of East Bethel, MN.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Avery and Esther Norton, sister, Bonnie Johnson, daughter, Shari Widmark, and son-in-law, Scott Widmark.

Memorials are preferred to Vintage Car Club, Let’s Go Fishing-Alexandria Chapter, Moments Hospice.

Visitation will be held on Monday, April 28, 2025, 10:00 - 11:00 AM at First Lutheran Church in Alexandria with a Memorial Service at 11:00 AM.  Burial will be at Kinkead Cemetery.