Mrs. Mary Ann Dilcher Norris, age 78, of Wrightsville, Georgia died Friday, January 25, 2019. A funeral service celebrating her life will be held on Wednesday, January 30th at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Wrightsville with burial in Westview Cemetery. Reverend Kirk Hagan will officiate.
Mrs. Norris was born in Elmhurst, Illinois in DuPage County and grew up in Glen Ellyn the daughter of the late Charles Fischer Dilcher, Sr. and the late Joan Rapposch Dilcher. As a teenager, her family moved to Atlanta where Mary Ann graduated from Northside High School in 1958. She was a 1962 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Interior Design. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority serving as chapter president twice. Her bond with many of her sorority sisters would closely follow her throughout her life. She formerly worked for the Wrightsville Headlight prior to operating her own gift shop, The House on the Corner. Mary Ann found her passion in chairing Wrightsville’s Better Hometown Program before being employed as its Manager. Mrs. Norris was extremely active in her community of Wrightsville. She was on the Johnson County Bi-Centennial Celebration steering committee and also involved with organizing past July 4th celebrations. She was the founding president of the Johnson County Historical Society and volunteered her time serving on numerous boards including The Harley Fulford Memorial Library, the Oconee Regional Library, the Johnson County Courthouse Rehabilitation Committee, the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, the Swainsboro Technical College Board of Trustees and the Wrightsville Development Authority. Mrs. Norris was also an active member of First United Methodist Church of Wrightsville where she was a member of the Women in Christ Ministry. Mrs. Norris is predeceased by her husband, Joseph Albert Norris and brothers, Charles F. Dilcher Jr. and Henry S. Dilcher.
Survivors include, her children, Emory Hodges Rowland, Jr. and his wife Suzana of Marietta, David Gregory “Greg” Rowland and his wife Christa of Evans, Charles Stanford “Stan” Rowland and his wife Annette of Gray, Joseph Allen Norris and his wife Anita of Cumming, John Michael Norris and his wife Jenny of Wrightsville, David Keith Norris and his wife Loresa of Gray and Sherrie Norris Thompson of Wrightsville; grandchildren, Ansley Rowland, Ashlyn Rowland, Zachary Rowland, Will Rowland, Courtney Norris Clanton and her husband Travis, Alex Norris, Lillie Norris, Emily Norris, Anna Claire Norris and McKinley Norris; great grandson, Tucker Clanton; also the father of her children, Emory Hodges Rowland Sr. of Wrightsville; sisters-in-law, Meryl Dilcher of Atlanta, Judy Norris of Wrightsville, Patsy Palmer and her husband Alan of East Dublin; and brother-in-law, Richard Norris of Warner Robins.
The family will be at the Norris home on Elm Street in Wrightsville and they will receive friends on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at May and Smith Funeral Home in Sandersville.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, South Atlantic Division, 2607 Commons Blvd. Augusta, GA. 30909.
May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.