Globe offers coverage of Will Norton services

In today's Joplin Globe, reporter Emily Younker offers coverage of Will Norton's service yesterday at Christ's Church of Oronogo:

The teenager was remembered during the funeral service Sunday as joyful, humorous and full of life by his friends and teachers, several of whom shared their memories of him.


Rachel McNally, who identified herself as a longtime friend, said she remembered his ever-present smile. She joked that Will would often brush his teeth four times a day to keep his pearly whites bright.

“Even though this is a hard time, Will would want us all to keep smiling,” she said.

Kristi McGowen, Will’s high school business teacher and adviser, recalled his helpfulness and resourcefulness, whether it was using his smartphone to direct a lost bus driver through 27 miles of the countryside to ensure that the Future Business Leaders of America club got to its competition on time or simply asking her each morning before class if there was anything she needed.

McGowen, who won a Golden Apple teaching award this year on a nomination from Will, remembers signing his yearbook just a few weeks ago with a simple message: “Go out and make an impact on the world.”

“Boy, did he ever make an impact,” she said, looking around the crowded church.