RAPID CITY - Norma Clinton, 80, died Wednesday, September 3, 2015 at the Fountain Springs Health Care Center in Rapid City. Norma Ellen Dyer was born April 4, 1935 in Tonopah, NV to George and Ellen [Omar] Dyer. She attended grades K-7 at Tonopah Grammar School. She received the American Legion Award at her eighth grade graduation from Battle Mountain, NV Grammar School. She attended Lander County High School for two years and Tonopah High School for two years where she was a choir accompanist, yearbook business manager, Girls State representative, DAR candidate, president of the Honor Society and recipient of the music award. She was salutatorian of the 1953 graduating class and received a Harold's Club full scholarship to attend the University of Nevada in Reno. During her first year at UNR she took ballroom dancing lessons at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Reno. Her favorite were the Latin American dances. In 1957 she received a B.A. in music education. She was the first women to receive a degree in music within the state of Nevada. She completed studies for a Master of Music degree in 1958 at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Norma taught choral music, reading and English at Mountain Home, ID Junior High School 1958-59. She taught music in grades 1-6 in Reno and Sparks, NV from 1959-61 and 1962-64. She taught music in grades 1-9 at a U.S. Army Dependent's School near Boeblingen, Germany from 1961-62. She taught self-contained grades 3rd and 4th at Mount Rose Elementary School in Reno from 1964-73. In 1967 she received a Distinguished Performance Award from Washoe County Teachers Association for her dedication to education and service to the community as a church musician. She sang in the Reno choral ensemble Mastersingers and the combined Community - University Chorus for several years. At various times she pursued further studies at UNR, UD, UNLV, Portland State College in Oregon, USC Idyllwild Arts Foundation, and Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA, Chadron State College in Nebraska, USD, SDSU, and BHSC in Spearfish. Mrs. Clinton was a church musician for 38 years. She began classical organ lessons in 1959 and served as organist for 34 years, directed youth or adult choirs for 14 years and was an adult choir member for 15 years. She also sang in Church School and Congregations as of August 2014 for 43 years. She organized three ecumenical choir festivals. In April 1996 the largest Organ Concert in the World was given on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the American Guild of Organists. Norma and nine other area organists took part by performing at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Organists throughout the U.S. and other countries made an attempt to perform at the same time. Norma studied church music at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA, Evergreen Conference in Colorado and American Guild of Organist workshops. Among the churches she served were St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Tonopah, NV, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Sparks, NV, Trinity Episcopal Church in Reno, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, and Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Hill City, SD. She was a piano and organ instructor for ten years. Norma converted to Roman Catholicism on December 16, 1972. On July 7, 1973 she was united in marriage to Joseph Charles Clinton at a meaningful and beautiful Nuptial Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in Reno. The couple lived on the family cattle ranch near Deerfield, SD. For health reasons she moved to Rapid City in 1997 and became a regular exerciser at the YMCA. Her pride and joy were her sons and grandsons. She was a member of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Knights of Immaculata, SD Right to Life, American League of Life, American Guild of Organists, and Alpha Delta Kappa, an honorary teacher's sorority. She had earlier been a member of the WCTA, National Education Association and Music Educators National Conference. Norma enjoyed traveling and learning other cultures. She visited most of the Europeans countries including Russia in 1962, Africa, the Middle East, Canada, Mexico and over half of the United States. She studied the Bible, read books written by many Catholic authors and some biography, history and mystery books. For quite a few years attending daily Mass was a priority of hers. Norma was preceded in death by her grandparents: Simon Omar, Lawrence and Anna Karr and Jenny [Jane] and Will Dyer, SR., her parents, her husband Joseph Charles Clinton in 2010, her sister Florence Irene Williams in 2014, two aunts, three uncles, four cousins, sister-in-law Mary Ellen Pond, brother-in-law John F. Clinton and his wife Phyllis. Survivors include her sons: Paul Joseph Clinton and his wife Sara and their sons: Joseph Paul Clinton and John Kellar Clinton all of Aurora, CO and George Gerald Clinton of Hill City; cousin Joan Schellhouse of Carson City, NV; sister-in-law Patricia [Otis] Gordley of Fort Morgan, CO; brother-in-law Billy W. Williams of Aurora, CO, Wallace "Bud" Pond of Rapid City, SD and Gerald M. [Geraldine] Clinton of Rapid City; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Wednesday, September 9 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with a Christian Wake Service and rosary to follow at 7:00 p.m. Christian Funeral Mass will be offered at 12:00 noon on Thursday, September 10 at Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Rev. Janusz Korban presiding. Interment will take place at 3:30 pm at the Hill City Cemetery at Hill City. The family will give memorial donations to the YMCA Kids Campaign, Cornerstone Rescue Mission, and several Catholic charities.