Mary D. Zuber

Services to celebrate the life of Mary D. (Elvidge) Norris Zuber, 93, of Davenport, will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 2, 2023 at the Halligan McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport. The service will be livestreamed by visiting Mary’s obituary at www.hmdfuneralhome.com Visitation will be Monday the 2^nd from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. Burial will be at the National Cemetery Rock Island Arsenal at a later date.  Mary passed away on December 23, 2022 at the Davenport Lutheran Home. 

Mary was born July 5, 1929, the youngest child to Fred and Mamie Elvidge in Rollie, Iowa. “Fred always called Mary his little redheaded firecracker”.  Mary and her family moved to Davenport at an early age, where she graduated from I.C.A. (Immaculate Conception Academy) and was the captain of the school basketball team and also played the trombone.  Mary started to work right out of high school at the Thompson Tobacco company, then moved on to work at the Italian Village restaurant in downtown Davenport.

In 1950, Mary met and married Jack H. Norris, to this union Jack and Mary had two children, John P. and William “Bill” M. Norris.  In the mid 1950’s Jack and Mary opened and operated the Green Front Bar and Grill on E. 2nd and Brady St. in Davenport, then in the mid 60’s they took over ownership of the Golden Lion Bar and Restaurant located at 210 Harrison St. Davenport.  After a fire destroyed the Golden Lion, Mary went to work as the manager at the Moose Lodge in Davenport; Mary lost her beloved husband Jack in April 1974.

While working at the Moose Lodge Mary met and later married Thomas W. Zuber. They worked together at Tom’s business Zuber Lumber in Blue Grass, Iowa, where they built a new home together. Their last move was to a new home in Davenport, that Tom wanted to build to show Mary at 80 he could still pound a nail in straight!  Tom passed away in 2015. 

Mary is survived by her two sons: John P. Norris and William “Bill” (Donna) Norris, stepchildren: Beth Zuber and Dennis (Sue) Zuber; Mary’s grandchildren: Kyle P. (Amanda) Norris, Lindsey S. (Kyle) Jubell, great-grandchildren: Maxwell Ian Thomas Norris, Emmett Warren Norris, Claire Sue Marie Jubell, and step great grandchildren Kolton Jubell, Makayla Jubell and Libby Jubell, a special niece and caregiver Beth Halfman whom Mary always said was the daughter she always wanted but never had.  

Mary was preceded in death by her parents Fred and Mamie, husbands Jack H. Norris, Thomas W. Zuber, and daughter-in-law, Linda S. Norris, stepson Mike Zuber, an infant brother, Harold, sisters, Dorothy (Pat) Short, Lennice (Robert) Stoffer, Ivadel (Al) Weber, Bernitta (Dick) Halfman and brother Richard “Dick” (Sally) Elvidge, who Mary always said Dick would pick her up and stick her feet in the cow pies when they lived on the farm! And many other nieces and nephews.

Mary’s family would like to thank the nurses and staff at the Davenport Lutheran Home for all the wonderful care they showed to Mary and her family in the time Mary spent with them.  Memorials may be made direct to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, W. 3^rd St. Davenport. May Mary rest in peace with our Holy Father and son Jesus and family and friends in Heaven for all Eternity.