Florence Marion Sorlien

Florence, a long-time resident of Klamath Falls, Oregon, passed away at her memory care home in Salem, Oregon, on August 21, 2020. She looked forward to her Heavenly home and the reunion with her loved ones who have preceded her, especially her husband Bob, who died in 1993.

She was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on November 16, 1923, the youngest of three children of Amund and Agnes Endahl. She spent her childhood in Chicago, Illinois, and Humboldt, Iowa. She told of experiences living in a downtown apartment in Chicago during the roaring twenties and then moving to bucolic Iowa during the depression so her family could grow their own food in their backyard. She graduated from Humboldt High School and, during her life, worked in a variety of office positions in Memphis, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; Humboldt, Iowa; and Klamath Falls, Oregon. When Bob returned from England after active duty in the Army during World War II, they were married on July 15, 1945. She is survived by their six children (Linda Grenz, Robert Sorlien Jr., Debra Nuszbaum, Bruce Sorlien, Daniel Sorlien, and Lori Montgomery), sixteen grandchildren, and twenty-five great grandchildren. They raised their children in Humboldt, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Ellsworth, Kansas; Dodge City, Kansas; and Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Along with her family, her greatest love was her Lord and His church. She was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon since 1961, and loved serving in the women’s ministry group and the choir. She was known for her beautiful soprano voice and her ability to smile while singing of God’s glory. She loved her friends at church and spent many hours in fellowship with them.

If anyone wishes to honor her, she would have wanted memorial gifts to her church: Hope Lutheran Church, 2314 Homedale Road, Klamath Falls, OR 97603. Due to the pandemic, plans for a memorial service are currently pending and will be announced to family and friends when appropriate.