Obituary of Norma Bessel

Norma Bessel February 09, 1927 - May 13, 2010 Mrs. Eric Bessel Norma (Puknat) Bessel, 83, of New Fairfield, beloved wife of 55 years to the late Eric J. Bessel, died peacefully at Danbury Hospital on Thursday, May 13th. She was born in Richmond Hill, NY on February 9, 1927, daughter of the late Gustav and Catherine (Bornholdt) Puknat. She was a graduate of Richmond High School, Class of 1945. Mrs. Bessel worked as a legal secretary in Manhattan until her marriage on August 31, 1947, when she moved into his home in New Fairfield. She lived the rest of her life on Ball Pond Road, as Mrs. Eric Bessel. She was the first female Rural Letter Carrier in the Danbury area serving in the New Fairfield Post Office for 24 years. She faithfully helped Santa write his letters to the area children until her retirement in 1987. Mrs. Bessel was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was an avid flower and vegetable gardener, canning, freezing, and making wine from fruits. She was also an avid seamstress, sewing suits for Eric, wedding dresses, and children's clothing. A long time member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, she served as a member of the LCGS building committee in 1978 as they prepared to build their new facility in New Fairfield, and as Women's Service President. Her love of the church was apparent though her many activities there, including teaching Sunday School and singing in the church choir. She also taught music at Immanuel Lutheran School, sang solo at all the Veteran's services in New Fairfield, and sang monthly at Filosa and Hancock Hall, until her illness last year. Mrs. Bessel will be sadly missed by her three daughters, Diane Dube and her husband, Thomas of New Fairfield, Kathryn "Treenie" Moore and her husband, Ronald of New Fairfield, and Erica Strang and her husband, Timothy of Hawley, PA; her seven grandchildren, Dawn Dube Schwack and her husband, Paul, Thomas Dube II, Catherine Dube Meisenholder and her husband, Steven, Lynda Moore Pascone and her husband, Robert, Jennifer Moore Soto and her husband, Pedro, Kristin Bresmon, Jessica Bresmon Blackman and her husband, Thomas. She is also survived by nine great grandchildren, Oksana, Trey and Maya Schwack, Melody and Travis Meisenholder, Robert and Emma Pascone, Madelyn and Michael Soto; as well as her sister, Diana Westhelle of Bogota, NJ. She was predeceased by her grandson, Jason Bresmon and her sister, Gloria Puknat. Funeral Information Funeral Services will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in New Fairfield, on Monday, May 17th at 10:00am. Burial will follow in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Cornell Memorial Home, 247 White Street, Danbury, on Sunday between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00pm. Donations Information Memorial Contributions in memory of Mrs. Eric Bessel may be made to the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Music Fund, 2 Colonial Road, New Fairfield, CT 06812