Seymour

Norval Clifton Montgomery, 95, of Seymour passed away peacefully at home and surrounded by his family on January 23, 2023. He was born November 19, 1927, to Arthur Dewey Montgomery and Emma Nichalson Montgomery and raised in Reddington in a family of horsemen. He competed in horse shows and races with his brothers Eugene and Frank Montgomery, all three of whom attained a bit of local fame when they were the passengers in a runaway horse-drawn wagon incident in downtown Seymour in 1938.

Norval served honorably in the United State Army from 1945-1947, after which he returned to Seymour and met the love of his life, Margaret (Marge) Ann Belding. They were married on December 28, 1951, and were married for 51 years until her death in 2003. Together, they raised four children in Little Acres. He retired from Cummins in 1985 after a 35 year career, and for 8 years was the co-owner of B&N Auto Repair in Seymour. Never one to sit still, after his retirement he worked at the Seymour Express Carwash as general manager and then chief coin-counter until the age of 92.

Norval never met a stranger and knew roughly half of the people in Jackson County. He was an active member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, The American Legion, The Fraternal Order of Eagles, and The Elks (interesting fact -Norval was the first person to make a hole-in-one at the Elks golf course after it opened in Seymour). He played right field for the Toolers, was a member of one of the first motorcycle clubs in Indiana in the 1940s and enjoyed riding into his 80s. In 1981 he realized a lifelong dream to be involved in the Indy 500 when he served as a member of Dennis Firestone’s pit crew at the Brickyard. He also enjoyed hunting, wood crafting, 4-wheeling, training his dogs for field trials, trap shooting, archery, bowling, and splitting logs.

Norval is survived by his four children, Debra (Jim) Jolly, Larry (Brenda) Montgomery, Jeff (Marcia) Montgomery, and Kellie (Will) Coffman, eight grandchildren (Phillip and Patrick Jolly, Joe and Drew Montgomery, Lauren Walter, Kristen Montgomery Prescott, and Matt Montgomery, and Jake Coffman), and 9 great-grandchildren. We love you dad/grandpa.

Visitation will be held at Voss & Sons Funeral Service on Friday from 4 -8PM, and on Saturday from 10-11AM at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church on Saturday at 11AM, with Father Dan Staublin officiating. Burial will take place at Riverview Cemetery following the service.

Family request memorial contributions be made to St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 325 S Chestnut St, Seymour, IN 47274, or the choice of the donor. Online condolences may be sent to the Montgomery family at www.vossfuneralservice.com .