Norma Boeker Cameron was born on the family farm in Corsica, SD in 1924 as the only child to August and Elsa Boeker. She grew up in a close knit community of German immigrants. She recalled, as a child, attending many Sunday afternoon baseball games, evening card games with their friends, and the adults two-stepping into the night in the yellow glow of Model A headlights as her neighbors bowed on their fiddles. Even at a young age, Norma was known for her singing voice and she provided entertainment at social events in the area throughout her youth. She loved school, first attending a one-room schoolhouse and then Corsica highschool, where she graduated at age 16. She then received a two-year teaching certificate from Dakota Wesleyan University, an institution she would support over the course of her life. During her time at Dakota Wesleyan, she continued her love of singing and dancing. She sang at local events as part of a singing trio called the Notes, styled after The Andrews Sisters. She also recalled dancing with her friends in high heels on Saturday nights in downtown Mitchell, until the boys disappeared in 1942 (WWII). Upon graduation, Norma moved to Pierpont, SD where she taught elementary school for two years.