Norman Glinz, age 97 of Bottineau, passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at a Bottineau nursing home.  His funeral will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10:00 am at the Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Bottineau.  Visitation will be Wednesday from 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the Nero Funeral Home in Bottineau.

Norman Ernest Glinz was born on January 9, 1923 at Bottineau and was raised on the family farm near Russell, ND. He was the son of James and Elizabeth (Zurcher) Glinz. He was raised and educated in Russell, graduating in 1941. After graduating from high school he became part of the family's agricultural business specializing in growing wheat and barley and raising hogs. During his first year as a farmer, Norman was in a farm accident where he accidentally caught his hand in a grinder, placing him in the Bottineau hospital for six weeks. After his accident, he attended Wahpeton State School of Science receiving a welding certificate. During that time World War II had broke out, but the war department refused to take him because of his injured hand. With being left out of the service, Norman continued to work on the farm. Norman was united in marriage to Twilla Nass Poff at St. John's Lutheran Church at Deep, ND on November 9, 1958. That same year they moved to Bottineau which he continued to make farming his lifetime profession. This union was blessed with two children, Brigitte in 1960 and Mark in 1964.

In 1946 Norman got his commercial pilot license and did many years of crop spraying, and with the love of flying he purchased a brandy helicopter. In 1964 Norman opened and owned Glinz Ski-doo sales for 42 years, and in 1979 purchased the Bottineau Courant. Norman had a passion for horses so at age 52 and semi retired, got his Canadian Trotting racing drivers license and had played a major part in owning, training and racing trotters and pacers in both the U.S. and Canada. In 2003 he won the Manitoba Great Western Stake race that runs annually and is the most prestigious race Manitoba offers where horses will race 2 heats in the same day.

Norman had donated time and money to the Bottineau County Museum where they had procured land, constructing an exhibit hall, donating his collection of tractors, cars and stationary engines for future generations to enjoy. Norman had been named the 2012 friends of education by establishing the Glinz Family Education Scholarship at Dakota College at Bottineau and had set up trophy cases in the Bottineau High School. Norman was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church where he served as trustee for 21 years, and then served for 6 years at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Bottineau.

He is survived by his daughter, Brigitte (Jeff) Schuster of Bottineau; son, Mark (Brenda) Glinz of Bottineau; 3 granddaughters, Haley Glinz, Taylor (Ben)  Diepolder, and Tiffany (Brock) Bruner; 4 step-grandchildren, Kirsten, Zac (Cassidy), Hope and Ahnna Peterson; Great- grandchildren, Rowdy, Jamesy and Ryatt Bruner and Pistol and Nora Peterson; sisters-in-law, Elaine Glinz and Dorothy (Lynn)  Kannas; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife Twilla; grandson, Patrick Mark; sister, Violet Glinz Welstad (Sherman); brothers, Arvel (Marjorie), Lyle (Ione), Willmer (Ruth) Lawrence and Willis; sister-in-law, Velma Wondrasek (Steve); and brothers-in-law, Melvin Nass (Mavis), and Lynn Nass.