She died March 11, 2026. She was 88.

Danni, as she was known, was born February 2, 1938, in De Smet, South Dakota, the daughter of Art and Amanda (Crane) Norris.

On June 6, 1958, she married Mervin Bangert in Huron, South Dakota. The couple met when Merv, then a student at South Dakota State University, went to Huron over Thanksgiving Break with his roommate. His roommate promised him dates with “the two prettiest girls in the yearbook.” Merv picked two homecoming queens, Danni and another woman. He went out with Danni the first night, canceled his date with the other woman the second night, and the two were together for nearly 70 years.

After marriage, the pair moved to Colorado where Merv went to work in the aerospace industry, eventually working for Ball Aerospace for decades until his retirement. Danni worked as a child development specialist for Boulder County. The couple bought a home in the mountains west of Boulder where they raised their daughters, Lesli and Lari.

After a chance encounter with a piece of pottery, Danni fell headlong into the art, working as a ceramic artist for decades.

With the help of her family, she built a studio and kiln on their property where Danni could often be found, covered in clay, with her beloved dogs Moki and then Charlie by her side. She was a proud member and past president of The Boulder Potters Guild. A ceramic piece created by her is part of “The Evolution of the Ball,” a sculpture that sits outside Coors Field in Denver.

Danni was rightly described as “a force of nature.” She was always there to lend a hand, provide a meal, or an ear to listen. Together, she and Merv created an incredible life together. After his retirement they would spend part of the winter traveling in their RV, visiting family and friends around the country.

Through their lives, Danni and Merv had a heart for service work, from high school youth group leadership to a long-lasting spiritual and cultural collaboration with the people of the United Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Venezuela, where they built relationships in faith and friendship.

She was kind, she was caring, and she will be missed. While her friends and family are heartbroken at her passing, they are grateful she is at peace.

She is survived by her husband, Merv; her daughters, Lesli (Matt Lubich) and Lari; her grandchildren, Collin Maki, Riley Lubich, Harper Lubich and Logan Stoltze; and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Lathan and Melvin; and her sister, Reva.

A memorial service is planned at First Congregational Church in Boulder later this spring. Those wishing to do so are encouraged to donate to The Alzheimer’s Association.