Norma Jean Denner Wehtje

September 6, 1949 - August 22, 2026

Norma Jean Denner Wehtje, 76, peacefully passed away on August 22, 2026, in Auburn, Alabama.

Born on September 6, 1949, in Waverly, Iowa, Norma carried through her life a deep and steady devotion to her faith, her family, her church, and music. A lifelong Christian, she was a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn for more than 40 years. There, she treasured the lifelong friendships she shared with many families in the church community.

Norma was the beloved wife of Glenn R. Wehtje, PhD, with whom she shared more than 45 years of marriage. She is also remembered by her younger sister, Marilyn McBride of Des Moines, Iowa; her two sons, Nathan Scott Wehtje of Johns Creek, Georgia, and Benjamin Hollis Wehtje of San Francisco, California; and her two granddaughters, Eleanor “Nora” Grace Wehtje, age 10, and Emily Claire Wehtje, age 6.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Bernice Spears Denner, who died in August 1992, and by her father, Alvin Denner, who died in May 1988.

Music was one of the enduring threads of Norma’s life. She was a lifelong musician who played the oboe beginning in her school years, continuing in college, and throughout her adult life. Over the years, she shared her musical gifts in church and with community orchestra groups, and the oboe remained a meaningful part of her life across the decades.

Norma also found joy in the beauty she cultivated at home. She loved flowers and enjoyed gardening with her husband, tending the blooms they grew together. Alongside her lifelong commitment to church and music, that garden reflected another cherished part of her daily life.

Those who knew Norma knew her through the constancy of the commitments that shaped her life: her Christian faith, her membership at Lakeview Baptist Church, and the many longstanding friendships there, her devotion to music, and the home and family life she built over the years.

She will be remembered with love and gratitude by those whose lives were joined with hers across family, church, friendship, and music.

In lieu of flowers, please donate and support your local music education program and/or local dialysis center in her remembrance.