Raymond Sorenson, 95, died Thursday, June 3, 2011 at LifeCare Greenbush Manor, Greenbush, MN.

Funeral Service will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at Grace Lutheran Church, Grygla, MN with Reverend Mary Gilthvedt officiating.

Visitation will be 5 " 8 PM, Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls, MN with a 7 PM prayer service and for one hour prior to the service, at the church, Wednesday.


Raymond Kenneth Sorenson was born on February 24th, 1916 in Kremlin Montana, the son of Melvin and Mollie Sorenson. He was baptized in the Lutheran church in Montana before the family relocated to Minnesota in 1921. He attended primary school in Esplie Township, and received a G.E.D. diploma later in life along with his wife through home study.

Ray was married to Petrina Bjerken of Goodridge in May 1941, a union which lasted for 55 years until her passing in 1996 and resulted in three sons: Gary Ray, Lee Arden, and Kevin Ross.

Toward the close of World War II, Ray entered the U.S. Army, serving in Fort Hood. Texas, and via an overseas assignment in Vienna, Austria, receiving his honorable discharge in 1945.

In addition to farming, Ray spent 25 years working at Grygla Co-op Creamery, which included driving a milk route and making him a vital part of rural social life. Prior to that, he worked as a clerk at the Grygla Gambles Hardware store, drove gravel truck, was a lineman for both Rural Electric and Garden Valley telephone, and worked at pulp lumber camps for several winters.

A self-taught carpenter, plumber, electrician, and mechanic, Rays skills were employed extensively in revamping and improving the familys resettlement farmhouse in addition to his other responsibilities.

He was a Charter Member of Grygla Lions, a VFW member, a Deacon of Grace Lutheran Church in Grygla and member of the church choir, and a supervisor for Valley Township for 24 years.

In August 2006 Ray moved to Greenleaf Assisted Living in TRF, moving to LifeCare Manor in Greenbush in November 2008 due to failing health. In both cases, he made many friends among residents and staff due to his unfailing good humor and humility.

Throughout his life, Rays soft-spoken manner, wry sense of humor, and unshakeable integrity resulted in numerous friends, and his intellectual curiosity made him a wealth of information on a wide variety of topics. He never passed judgment on anyone, preferring to see others in the most charitable light, and shouldered whatever challenges he faced quietly and stoically.

He was preceded in death by his wife Petrina (Pat); parents, Melvin and Mollie; brother, Myron (Jack), and sisters Inez, Myra, and Katherine.

He is survived by his three sons: Gary (Diane) of Seattle, Wash., Lee of Barbados, West Indies, and Kevin (Terri) of Williston, North Dakota; five grandchildren, Jennifer Hurley, Toby Sorenson, Raef Sorenson, Adam Sorenson, and David Sorenson; great-grandson Davin Hurley; brother, Wilford (Bud) and sister, Lillian Newton of Grygla, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

Raymond Kenneth Sorenson passed away on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at the age of 95 years, 3 months in Greenbush, MN.

In his own quiet way, he made a lasting mark on the world and will be sorely missed.