Not buried locally.

NORMA L. PLANGMAN, 86

Norma L. “Penny” Plangman, 86, died Dec. 23, 2009, in Kerrville, Texas. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Kerrville First United Methodist Church.

Norma Lee Burns was born Oct. 30, 1923, in Corsicana, Texas, to Cecil and Georgia Burns. She was raised in Palacios, Texas. After graduating from high school, she attended Dasa Vala College and went to work for the U.S. Civil Service. This took her to Washington, D.C., where she worked in counter-intelligence for several years.

She moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she married and had two children, Tommy and Trudy. She was a long-time member of Asbury Methodist Church in San Antonio and was accepted into the PEO sisterhood. She enjoyed her career for many years working for doctors in the area.

In 1974, she married Rufus Buffaloe and relocated to Blair. The couple enjoyed traveling, gardening, cooking and spending time with their friends and family. She continued her career working at the Blair Clinic.

Wherever she lived, she continued to follow her faith in the Methodist Church. She completed the five-year Bible Study Fellowship during this time. In 1992, she traveled to the Holy Land and Jordan, which would be the trip that was forever dearest to her heart. During her time there, she was baptized in the Jordan River and saw many biblical places.

After the death of her husband, Rufus, she moved to Kerrville to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter. Because of her spirit and kindness, she quickly made many new friends. She found her new church home in the Kerrville First United Methodist Church, where she was a member for 16 years.

In 1997, she found a soul mate in Jewell “Skip” Plangman. They married May 16, 1998. Over the next 11 years, the Plangmans enjoyed travels to Switzerland, Hawaii, France, Turkey, Italy, Mexico and various trips within the United States. They were very active in the Keystone Sunday School class at KFUMC. Their life together was filled with love and happiness every single day…”Skip and I believe that our meeting was more than fate, we are certain that what we have is blessed! In our short time together we have evolved spiritually and each day our love for one another grows.”

Mrs. Plangman’s life was fulfilled with her love of family, friends, nature and cooking. She spent her lifetime collecting butterflies and sea shells. She shared her knowledge of both by teaching programs and giving many presentations. There was nowhere she would rather be than in her garden. It was a place where she was one with God. The kitchen was her favorite room in the house. There, she was an artist, a preparer, a presenter and an entertainer. But above everything else, she spent her entire life devoted to the Lord and did everything in His name. Her constant smile, love and gentleness she showed to people left a mark on their hearts.

She is survived by her husband, Skip Plangman of Kerrville; daughter and son-in-law, Trudy and James Bell of San Antonio, Texas; granddaughter, Erin Bell, also of San Antonio; sister, Jewell Brister of Houston; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a son, Tommy; and her sister, Ruth.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Kerrville First United Methodist Church.

Kerrville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.