Norberg Memorial Home Inc. & Monuments: Loving Roots in the Community

Janice Smallwood returned to Princeton, Illinois in 2016 and joined Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments two years later.

The journey that led her back to Princeton stretches across the country. It connects through mutual friends and is bound by youthful love. Along with the grief training she received while working with the South Carolina State Fire Fighters Association, her full-circle journey dates back to 1975 when she first moved to Princeton from Chicago.

Janice first met her husband, J.D. Smallwood, at the old Skate-A-Rama in Princeton, before moving away with her family to South Carolina for her father’s retirement in 1981. While there, she owned a bookkeeping company and managed the financials for several not-for-profit organizations, including the South Carolina State Firefighters Association as well as the USTA of South Carolina.

After the passing of Janice’s husband, Steve, she reconnected with J.D. through a mutual friend.

J.D., meanwhile, began working at Norberg in 1996 upon graduation from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Illinois. He eventually purchased Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments in 2008 from his father, Bodie, who passed away that same year. Bodie first started working for Arthur Norberg – also a graduate of Worsham – in 1956, after serving in the Korean War.

In 1966, Bodie Smallwood bought into the business as a partner to Norberg, eventually buying all stocks and becoming sole owner. The memorial home has been in the Smallwood family since then, but part of the community since 1903.

With their five-year anniversary as a married couple approaching, the Smallwoods take their love for each other, along with their love for their community and apply both to their daily work at the funeral home. They are honored to serve and continue Norberg’s tradition of affordable, reliable services throughout Bureau County and beyond.

“Not only was J.D. my first love, but he will also be my last,” Janice said. “It’s one of the hardest jobs we’ve ever loved. It’s a true honor that people select us to care for their loved one during their time of need.”

For well over 100 years, Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments has provided an array of funeral services, cremations, pre-planning arrangements, burials, monuments, urns, jewelry, and assistance.

Due to the current changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Norberg has extended their services to include free live-streaming of funerals, as well as drive-thru visitations if and when needed.

For more information on services, prearrangements or monuments, please visit www.norbergfh.com or call 815-875-2425.

Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments

701 E. Thompson St

Princeton, IL 61356