Noreta Jane Mort

Noreta Jane Mort, 83, went to be with her Lord on March 1, 2021 at her home, surrounded by her family. Noreta was born to Harvey and Norma (Irwin) Henwood in Syracuse, Indiana on July 11, 1937.  She was the third of four children. She graduated from North Webster High School in 1955 and attended Ball State University. After one year, she left school and married her high school sweetheart, Jack Mort. They were blessed with three children. After working as a teacher’s aide, she decided to attend Indiana University at Fort Wayne where she earned an education degree, all while keeping hot meals on the dinner table. She then took a position at Syracuse Elementary as a fourth-grade teacher. A number of years went by and she transferred to North Webster Elementary to finish out her 28 years of service to the Wawasee School Corporation. As a mother and teacher, she was known to be tough but fair. Upon retirement, she and her sister, Anna, continued to teach and tutor children for an additional 12 years. In her own words, Noreta said she was “a young person in an old person’s body” and she lived life that way. She loved the outdoors and gardening. She always enjoyed learning new things, including Spanish and computer applications, at local colleges. Because she loved to travel and see new things, she made many trips with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law. She always made a point to travel to visit her children, grandchildren, and various friends, as she was never afraid to fly or drive by herself. One of her favorite places to visit was Honduras, where she served multiple times as a short-term missionary. Noreta had a passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a heart for missions. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Pierceton, Indiana for well over 50 years. When she relocated to the Posey county area to be closer to family, she joined Mount Zion General Baptist Church in Wadesville, Indiana, where she was very active and served until her death. She believed her house was a gift from God so she always opened it to missionaries, friends, bible study, meetings, and anyone in need. She had many stories and loved to tell them. She would grin and say, “You know what Jack would say” whenever she was sharing one of his “Jack-isms.” A favorite story was when someone once mistakenly called her and asked “How much do you want for your rear-end?” to which she matter-of-factly replied, “It’s not for sale!” She loved to play games with her family and was competitive to the end. She loved her friends and family with a passion and was always quick to help, but never too much as that could harm them. She was always ready for ice cream, mint cookies, and Little Debbie Swiss cakes. She would say, “Life is too short not to eat your dessert first.” Noreta was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Jack Mort; her parents; her brothers, Oscar and Buck Henwood; and her grandson, Matt Smith. She is survived by her sister, Anna Clay; children, Cindy (Keith) Jervis, Jerry (Laura) Mort and Bob (Angie) Mort; grandchildren, Brad (Lori) Smith, Errin (Craig) Weisman, Curt (Amanda) Mort, Hannah (Eduardo) Merano, Rebekah Mort, Kei Mort, and Joshua Mort; step-grandchildren: Mark (Sarah) Jervis, Heather (Adam) Fisher, Melissa McConnell, Adam (Erica) Jarvis, Chelsey (Lenny) Gonzalez and Tyler (Tiffany) Jarvis. She proudly had 33 great-grandchildren. She would want anyone reading this to know the secret to a happy life is Jesus, sweets, and family. So, say a prayer, enjoy a sweet treat, and hug your loved ones today. Many bible verses come to mind when thinking of Noreta. Her children decided II Timothy 4:7-8 best describes her. Posey County visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Schneider Funeral Home, 512 Main St., Mt. Vernon, IN. Kosciusko County visitation will be held on Friday, March 5, 2021 from 9:00 am until 11:00 am at First Baptist Church, 203 W. Market St, Pierceton, IN. Private funeral service to be held with Pastors Mike Trotter and Mark Fishburn officiating and burial to follow in Hillcrest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to General Baptist International Missions for the Matigsalug Bible Institute. Condolences may be made online at www.schneiderfuneralhome.com SERVICES VisitationWednesday, March 03, 2021 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Schneider Funeral Home 512 Main Street, P.O. Box 785 Mt. Vernon, Indiana 47620 Get Directions on Google Maps VisitationFriday, March 05, 2021 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM First Baptist Church 203 W. Market St. Pierceton, IN Get Directions on Google Maps