Dorothea Sorenson

Dorothea passed away peacefully on June 7th 2015. She had been ill for 2 1/2 months. She was born to Carl Heger and Nellie Walker Brisbois on August 6th 1918 in Perham, Minnesota. She was the 7th of 9 children, and she was the last one living. The family moved to North Dakota where she grew up. She married Lon Newell in Wenatchee, WA and had 2 children. She moved to Yakima, WA when the children were very young. She was married to Orville Sorenson on October 20th 1962. After retiring Dorothea and Orville moved from Tieton, WA to Sequim, WA and enjoyed life on a little farm where they raised animals and tended a big garden of vegetables, berries and flowers. Orville grew beautiful dahlias and they were proud of their homemade wines. They had a boat and also enjoyed fishing, clamming and crabbing along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. She had a very happy life with him until his passing on October 12th 1983. She then moved back to Yakima. Dorothea didn’t drive until 1965. She tried to get her driver’s license at the office in Union Gap. She must have had trouble with the test, so she went to the Naches office and told them that her daughter was expecting a baby and she needed her license to drive from Tieton to Yakima. She got her license and never was in an accident and never received a ticket. After Dorothea and Orville moved to Sequim she would make the trip to Yakima to visit and would always bring lots of homemade goodies. One time she did almost get a ticket. It was probably in the 1990’s and she was on her way home on the evening of New Year’s Eve. She slid through a stop sign on the icy street and there was a patrolman behind her. When he walked up to the car, she asked him why he was stopping an old lady on New Year’s Eve. He replied that he didn’t know who was driving. She said she thought it would be worse if she had tried to stop and he agreed. She went on her way home and he probably chuckled. She always prayed for everyone and watched the Mass on TV every day. Many times she was brought communion from the extraordinary ministers of the parishes. Later in life Dorothea loved spending time at the Harman Center. She loved visiting, playing pool and Saturday bingo. She loved going to the dances and dancing in her wheelchair to the music of Al and Bob and Gary Malner. She taped a lot of their music and for years had much enjoyment listening to them. She also went for Saturday breakfast at the Center when Charles was the cook, and Claire made the pancakes. She also liked to go for lunch when Charles made the homemade soup and sandwiches. She enjoyed going to Englewood Gardens on Mondays to visit with her friends and play bingo. She was a good customer of dial-a-ride when she no longer could drive. She liked chatting with the call takers and the drivers. She shopped at Albertsons on 16th and the store employees were always very helpful. She listened to her radio, and was always up on current events. She still followed NBA basketball and liked both Stephen Curry and Lebron James, so I don’t know who she would have wanted to win. She was well enough to know that their teams had made it to the playoffs. She is survived by her son, Steven Patrick Newell and wife Sharon Newell of Yakima and their daughter Cristian R. Newell-Schmidt and husband, Allan Schmidt and their daughter Cooper Schmidt. “Grandma, we know you are free of pain now and able to play all the bingo and pool you want! We will continue to eat banana cake and think of you! Love you!” Cristian She is survived by her daughter Susan Newell Thomas and husband Edward Thomas and their children; son Edward (Deed) Thomas Jr and wife Tracy Thomas and their daughters Perri and Parker. “You gave us a lot of great memories that we will cherish forever: visiting your property in Sequim, clamming on the Dungeness Spit, and winning at Bingo, shooting pool, and eating your molasses cookies. Goodbye Grandma we love you. Hug Grandpa Orville for us and we’ll see you in heaven.” Deed Daughter Julie Thomas-Clark and husband Harry Clark and their daughters Tori and Allie. “Dear Grandma and Great Grandma, we love and miss you so much! Thank you for all the wonderful memories you made with us. You were awesome at Skip-Bo, Bingo, and Pool and made us delicious molasses cookies. Give Grandpa and Pudgy X’s and O’s. See you in the funny papers! XX OO, Julie, Harry, Tori and Allie” Son Joe Thomas and his daughters Alyssa and Samantha. “Oh Grandma, We wanted you to live to be a hundred!” She is survived by her sister Mary’s daughters: Janet Pemberton, Nancy Martin, Patsy Champoux, Diane Balcom, Kathy Russell, Debbie Champoux, Colleen Wilmoth and their families. “All of us agree that we never heard you raise your voice to us or say an unkind word. You were always very good to us. She loved us unconditionally and we loved hearing her stories about our Mom’s growing up years.” Love, Mary’s girls. She is survived by Orville’s daughters and sons and their families: daughters Vivian McLean and Barbara Hartinger and husband Bill, and sons: Stan Sorenson and wife Wanda Sorenson, and son Gale Sorenson. Dorothea’s funeral will be a graveside service at Calvary Cemetery on Saturday June 20th at 10 am. Valley Hills Funeral Home is caring for the family. Online condolences may be left at ww.valleyhillsfh.com. 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