Obituary: Orville M. Sorensen

Orville M. Sorensen, of Austin, Texas passed away Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 with his family by his side.

Dad was born April 20, 1931 in Yankton County S.D., the son of John and Johanna Sorensen.

Dad graduated from the Bagley, Minn. High School in 1948. He attended Bemidji State University before joining the United States Air Force in 1951 and went on to get his commission shortly after Orville married Diane Wildman in Minneapolis in 1957. They traveled the world over during his distinguished career as a personnel officer and retired at the rank of Major in Duluth, Minn. in 1977. He went back to his roots to farming for several years until his final retirement in 1991. In 1991, he married his second wife, Patricia where they lived most recently in Prescott, Ariz.

Dad was an avid history buff with a specific interest in the Civil War and Native American history of the southwest. Dad did extensive research and wrote about Arizona and Southwest American history while volunteering and reenacting as a historical docent at Ft. Bowie and Chiricahua National Monument in Southeast Arizona. Many of these research documents are being used in elementary schools around the U.S. as well as the Museum in Willcox, Ariz.

Dad was a genuine storyteller and absolutely loved a good joke. If you didn't have a smile when you met him, you did when he left.

Dad was preceded in death by his mother and father; brothers, Axel, Gunner and John; and his sister Elvira.

He will be truly missed by his wife of 19 years, Julia (Pat) Sorensen; sister Gladys (Buiford) Qualle of Bemidji, Minn.; daughters, Lynn Overdorff, Susan McClary (Kevin) of Austin, Texas, Karen VanCamp (Kelley) of Las Vegas, Nev.; son John (Karen) Sorensen of Esko, Minn.; grandchildren, Bryan, Jessica, Jesse, Ryan, Amanda, Logan, Daniel and Sean; and the numerous friends he made over the years.

A celebration of life took place in Austin, Texas Aug. 20, 2010. Interment will be at a later date in Bagley, Minn.

Information provided by survivors.


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