Nancy Norris was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa.
A wild child, her first boyfriend was the son of the local mafia chieftain, later convicted of murder. The boyfriend became a successful lawyer in South Dakota and they stayed in contact until his death.
She always wanted to live on a lake, and Lake Okoboji just north of Sioux City was her first choice, but her father George sensibly decided that she was best kept close to home.
On attending Iowa State University, she met and later married William Norris. They settled in Wisconsins Kettle Moraine and Milwaukee, and moved onto Lake Beulah in 1959, during its “cottage era”.
For over 50 years, Nancy nurtured and contributed to small boat racing first on Lake Beulah and then throughout the INLAND. She began to sail herself and along with family members taught herself racing techniques and rules. She was a coach, mentor, judge, cheerleader and sponsor of countless kids.
She is the mother and grandmother and coach to a number of national and international champions.
Gan was always smiling. Rare if ever could she be found without a smile.
Gan Haeger, first Gan Hudson, grew up on Lake Beulah.
She married the legendary Lake Beulah light air sailor Milt Haeger, who used the smoke from cigarettes to see the light winds on SOAKER DAYS
Gan developed a fast friendship with Nancy Norris and together with Gretchen Oster, they spent 1000's of hours together running races. They created one of the first super judging teams, and virtually the first WOMENS judging team in the INLAND.
She could be seen always on a boat on the lake smiling and encouraging young kids. Gan is the mother and grandmother to numerous regional, national and world class sailors.
Gretchen Oster was the third musketeer to Gan and Nancy. For years the three were indistinguishable.
Gretchen went a step further, in providing her lawn to Sailing School instruction for over a decade. Tuesday and Thursday mornings, would find kids from all over the lake arriving for their lessons. Next door, lived the Aspins, home of our Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, a former sailing school instructor along with his brother Jim “MONK” Aspin who followed his footsteps.
On many days, Gretchen would freely offer refreshments to the assembly. The porch of her Victorian house servered as the poster board for race scoring. Cheerfully, she would welcome sailors as they studied the standings and estimated their probabilites of advancing
Marcia Berman, an East Shore sailor, husband to Bill Berman was the cheerful 4th member of the WOMENS SUPER JUDGING TEAM.
Allegedly from Philadelphia or somewhere “out east” Marcia and Bill Berman arrived at Lake Beulah by accident. They were driving around one day, saw a FOR SALE sign, and decided on the spot to get a house on the lake, with no idea of the people culture or lake. It was an accident of history. A wonderful accident for Lake Beulah.
Forever entertaining and laughing and inviting people for dinner, (Bill was a meat broker so the food was always great) no one on Lake Beulah was as gracious and warm as Marcia.
Marcia and Bill made huge contributions to Beulah, were deep deep and fast friends of Nancy and the Norris'.
It is said that late at night when you walk by their former house, one can still hear the sounds of laughter coming from it, even though it may be dark.
Marge Harvey was born in New York City in 1926. After high school, Marge attended All Souls Hospital in Morristown, NJ, where she became a Cadet Nurse and RN. Her nursing career brought her to Chicago where she worked at Hines Hospital as a scrub nurse and later, a visiting nurse in the inner city. Marge met, and married Jack Harvey, who discovered Lake Beulah while on a business trip to East Troy. Jack had always dreamed of having a "cottage", and they settled happily into the infamous East Shore. (Marge's husband, Jack, was legendary for lighting his chest on fire on the Fourth of July, and her son, "Rockin Bob Harvey" later known as "HOLLYWOOD" was notorious for "Port Tacking the Fleet" and getting away with it) Marge held active posts as President of the LBYC Sidestays, Secretary to the Commodore and long time service on the race committee gunboat, with her dear friends.
