GREAT BEND — Norma G. Mounkes, 89, of Great Bend, died June 20, 2012 at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood.
Born Jan. 10, 1923 in Great Bend, she was the daughter of Vincente and Alexandria (Gonzalez) Gutierrez. She grew up in Great Bend, graduating from Great Bend High School in 1942.  She attended and graduated with a degree in secretarial science from Brown Mackie College. On Dec. 27, 1977, she married Darrel G. Mounkes at Saint Mark Lutheran Church in Great Bend. He preceded her in death on Oct. 2, 2001. She was a retired seamstress and bookkeeper for Suburban Dry Cleaners in Great Bend. Norma was a supreme seamstress and spent several years teaching students her gift by sharing her skills and techniques with them. She enjoyed spending time with family, reading, mastering word puzzles, teaching others Spanish words and sewing.
Mrs. Mounkes was a member of Saint Mark Lutheran Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Gloria Schamber and husband Linus, Hays; one stepdaughter, Sallee Dixson, Eugene, Ore.; one stepson Jay Mounkes and wife Donna, Belleville, Ill.; two sisters Katie Vesta and Delores Lapka, both of Great Bend; a brother, Daniel Gutierrez and wife Janet, Aurora, Colo.; four grandchildren, Lisa Burkhart and husband Kerry, Norman, Okla., Pamela Perry and husband Michael, Great Bend; James Detherage and wife Tanya, Plano, Texas, and Matthew Detherage and wife Schamra, Hays; five step-grandchildren, Marcus and Ben Dixson, Andrew Mounkes, Holly (Mounkes) Stephenson and husband P.J. and Mitchell Mounkes; and eight great-grandchildren, Rachel, Lynelle, Mackenzie, Bryce, Logan, Aly, Chance and Drake.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one son Larry Marquez; one brother Ishmael Gutierrez; and two sisters Lucille Zero and Alberta Delgado.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Saint Mark Lutheran Church in Great Bend with Pastor Adam Wutka officiating.  Interment will be at the Great Bend Cemetery. There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent directly to St. Mark Lutheran Church in memory of Norma at 2101 Jackson Street Great Bend, KS, 67530.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Hawks-Shelley Funeral Home*
704 N. Washington
Wellington, KS, 67152
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, July 4, 2012