Clarence Otlando Sorbo, 94, Lake Mills, Iowa
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Clarence Orlando Sorbo, age 94, of Lake Mills, Iowa, died Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, at Muse Norris Hospice Unit in Mason City, IA.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, at Silver Lake Lutheran Church in rural Northwood, Iowa, with the Rev. Thomas Hagen officiating. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Emmons. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today,
Dec. 29, at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home in Lake Mills, and one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.
Clarence Orlando Sorbo was born on July 28, 1910, to Gustav and Gena (Haugerud) Sorbo on a farm near Rice Lake in Winnebago County, Iowa. He was baptized in the basement of the Silver Lake Lutheran Church shortly before the church building was relocated from the cemetery to the current location. In the spring of 1918, his family moved from the Rice Lake area to a farm along the north shore of Silver Lake in Worth County, Iowa. He was confirmed at Silver Lake Lutheran Church in 1925.
Clarence was united in marriage to Irene Bendickson on June 10, 1934, in Northwood, Iowa. They lived on the Silver Lake farm raising a family, crops, livestock, chickens and for several years delivered eggs to homes and businesses in the surrounding area. In 2001 they moved to an apartment in Lake Mills and in September of 2004 Clarence entered Lake Mills Care Center, Lake Mills.
He enjoyed visiting with family and friends and always had a good story to tell. He played banjo and guitar, went fishing when he could, and listened to the Twins baseball games whenever possible.
Clarence is survived by his wife, Irene Sorbo; their five children: Senora (Dean E) Holstad of Lake Mills, Gaylord (Vivian) Sorbo on the family farm, Northwood,
Clarine (Ayodeji) Coker of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Clifford (Sue) Sorbo of Newton, Iowa, and Linda (Bill) Ward of Lake Mills; 19 grandchildren: Michael (Ellen) Holstad of Thompson, Iowa, Diane (Ross) Honsey of Emmons, Randy (Dorene) Holstad of Lake Mills, Connie (Ronald) Arispe of Clear Lake, Iowa, Lori (Terry) Peterson of Hugo, Minn., Danny (Jennifer) Holstad of West Branch, Iowa, Gustavus (Jill) Sorbo of Mankato, Sonja (Yurry) Alamsya of Forest City, Iowa, Richard Sorbo and fiancee Shannon Steffen of Lakefield, Minn., Otis (Melissa) Sorbo of Waldorf, Minn., Ayodeji (Ado) Coker of Brooklyn, N.Y., Christianah Coker and fiance John Jackson of Atlanta, Ga., Olusegun (Shawntelle) Coker of Nashville, Tenn., Oluseyi Coker of Kanawha, Iowa, Ololade Coker and fiance Abiodun Oluyomi of Iowa City, Iowa, Eric (Aaren) Sorbo of Newton, Iowa, Melissa (Sean) Wiechman of West Des Moines, Iowa, Suzanne Sorbo of Houston, Texas, and Kevin (Mary) Peterson of Joice, Iowa; 26 great-grandchildrenl one great-great-grandchild; one brother, Glenn (Mary) Sorbo of Northwood; brother-in-law, Glen (Margaret) Bendickson; sister-in-law, Jeanette Harmon; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother and sister-in-law: Alfred and Arlene Sorbo; brothers-in-law: Endre, Harlan and Elthon Bendickson; and one son-in-law, Dennis Peterson.
Memories of Clarence will be cherished by a multitude of family and friends.