Nora Ann Ensminger

Nora Ann Ensminger, of Kosse, passed away peacefully at home, her earthly work finished, on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at age 83.

A Memorial Service to celebrate Nora’s life will be held Saturday, July 8, 2023, at 5:00 p.m., in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Jordan Jones officiating.

Nora was born February 22, 1940, to Edgar Ingram and Geneva (Hill) Ingram in the Moss Springs community near Kosse.   Growing up in Kosse, she was a member of the final graduating class in 1958, after which the Kosse schools were closed.  Nora then attended typing school in Dallas to prepare for a lifetime of work.

Nora was a smart lady and a hard worker, who worked every day of her life.  She owned a printing shop business in Marlin for a few years, and also had worked for the Marlin newspaper.

Nora met Donald (Don) Ensminger after his recent discharge from the military, when he moved to Kosse while working on the local highway. They were united in marriage and made their home in Kosse, where they raised three sons.

Nora worked for the State of Texas at the Mexia State School and during that time earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Texas at Tyler.   Her  courses in computer science enabled her to be a computer programmer.   After retirement from MSS, she worked for the City of Kosse for over twenty years, retiring there only a few years ago.  When she retired, Kosse honored her with naming the city park "The Nora Ensminger Memorial Park."   

Nora was a historian who loved Kosse, both the history and the people.  Her volunteer work included the Kosse Food Bank, which she organized and ran at the Kosse community center; she volunteered at the community center; oversaw the government financed low-income houses and their upkeep; and she always worked to help the underdog and to fight against things she saw to be wrong.  The more a person needed help the more she was there.   She cooked food to take to the sick even until the past month.

Nora's computer remained a part of her daily life at home, even while she had to use her magnifying glass in recent times. She had an excellent memory and liked to recall the many houses of past years in the area, and the people who lived in them, and everyone kin to them.  Just this past Sunday, she told her family she had to hurry home because she still had “too much to do.”

Nora was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Don Ensminger in 2005; her daughter-in-law, Becky Ensminger in 2020, and her son, Donald (Donny) Ensminger in 2021.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Paul and Anna Ensminger of Kosse and Kevin and Cindy Ensminger of Kosse; grandchildren: Rachel Durgan and husband Scott; Jordan, Alyssa and Tristan Jones; Megan Ensminger and husband Shelby; Colton Ensminger and wife Taylor; Jodie Gooch and fiancé  Kyle Burns; and Jessie Ensminger; and 13 great grandchildren.   She is also survived by brothers, Charles Ingram and Stanley Ingram and wife Pam; sister-in-law, Ginger Foshee; and numerous nieces and nephews.