Dutch Norman

Dutch was born on December 9th, 1950, in Kerrville to William "Runt" Norman & Mary Renick. He was the second born of six children. Some of Dutch's fondest memories growing up were running wild and free along the creekbanks of his great grandparents' place with his brothers and cousins.

From an early age, Dutch felt called to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and his faith remained important to him. In 1953, the family left Kerrville and moved to Arkansas. In 1955, they returned to Texas, moving to Academy, and finally settled in Belton in 1957, where he attended school.

From a very young age, rodeo was a way of life. Their dad would put them on anything they could stay on. Dutch carried a deep love for the sport in his soul as a boy, and that passion stayed with him throughout his life. In 1969, during his senior year of high school, Dutch was drafted into the Army. With his love for rodeo burning inside him and a strong desire to compete as much as possible before leaving, he made the decision to leave school and obtain his GED. In the months before going to war, he focused on filling his RCA card. After serving two years in the Army and returning home from Vietnam, Dutch hit the road rodeoing.

He loved sharing stories from those years. Dutch rodeoed alongside his brothers and close friends Ronnie Proctor, Tom Ray, and many others who left a lasting impact on his life, including Dobbin Preece, Cotton Proctor, and the Steiner family. One of his favorite memories was in 1974 when he drew Steiner's X15 in Waco-a bull he always described as a "spinner." He won the Waco rodeo that year and then drew the same bull the following week at the Belton 4th of July rodeo, where he won again, becoming the only Belton boy to have done so at that time. The rodeo life meant everything to Dutch, and he truly loved the cowboy way.In March of 1977, he met the love of his life, Linda. Though she was an Oklahoma girl, it only took four short months for her to know he was the one, and she made the move to Texas. They were married on December 21st, 1977. Linda remained the sparkle in his eye for the rest of his life. Together, they welcomed their son, Joshua Curtis, in September of 1979, and their daughter, Amanda Jo, in March of 1984.

In the early years of their marriage, they lived in Somerville and Belton, where Dutch worked as a heavy equipment operator. He and Linda later settled in Moody, where they spent 34 years before moving to Whitney in 2022. In his later years, Dutch embraced retirement-spending his time fishing, playing pool in his shop with neighbors, and attending anything his grandchildren Lane (14), Sydney (14), Camdyn (7), and Charli (5) were involved in. Dutch was the true definition of a family man. He loved Linda, his children, and his grandchildren more than anything in the world. Though small in stature, he was known for his enormous heart. He would give the shirt off his back to a stranger without ever expecting anything in return.

Dutch was preceded in death by his father, William "Runt" Norman, and his mother, Mary Taylor. He is survived by his loving wife, Linda, of Whitney; his son Josh of Moody; his daughter Mandy and her husband Heath of Grandview; his grandchildren Hannah, Lane, Sydney, Camdyn, and Charli; his brothers Denver and wife Shelia of Little River Academy, Dick and wife Janice of Somerville, Steve and wife Brenda of Langtry, and Chris of Belton; and his sister Robin Aldridge and husband Robert of Little River Academy, along with countless nieces, nephews, and friends.

Dutch had an unforgettable smile and laugh. He was known for his incredible patience and his kind, gentle heart. He passed away at home alongside his wife on Sunday, April 26th, leaving behind a lasting legacy and a deep impact on all who knew and loved him.

A memorial and celebration of life will be held Sunday, May 3rd at 2:00 pm at Tucker Hall in Waco, TX