Death Takes Al Sorenson, Civic Leader, Veteran Member Of County Board Succumbs Sunday May 8, 1955
Death comes to Soren Albert (Al) Sorenson, 60-year-old member of the Board of Kittitas County Commissioners and one of the county’s most prominent citizens, Sunday afternoon in Sorensen Memorial Hospital here. He had suffered a heart attack Wednesday afternoon.
A Kittitas Valley native, active in farm and community affairs throughout his adult life Sorenson was widely known throughout the state and Northwest. Mourned by friends and associates he was eulogized by them as having “always given his best efforts to the interests of Kittitas County.”
Sorenson had served seven years on the Board of Kittitas County Commissioners and was a past chairman. He was elected as the District 3 commissioner in 1948, was reelected in 1952 and again in 1954, and had served 16 months of his third term. He was instrumental in planning the new courthouse, now under construction.
He was born here December 25, 1894, a son of the late Soren and Nelsena Sorenson, widely-known Denmark district residents. He attended valley schools and graduated from Washington State College in 1918. An outstanding athlete, hew as a star member of the W.S.C. basketball quintet and in his senior year was named to the all Pacific Coast Conference basketball team. He continued his interest in sports throughout his life and played with the YMCA basketball team and the Ellensburg baseball team for several years after his graduation from W.S.C. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta social fraternity at Washington State College.
He was married here May 20, 1919 to Elizabeth Helen (Beth) Travers. They operated a farm in the Denmark district for several years. Later the family moved to the old J. B. Fogarty ranch in the Damman district and since selling that property has lived at 407 North Water street in Ellensburg.
Sorenson long was active in the work of the Kittitas County Farm Bureau. He was a past president of the bureau and also had been prominent in the work of the State Farm Bureau Federation. He was instrumental in the organization of the Kittitas County Farm Bureau Co-operative here.
Likewise interested in the Kittitas County Fair, he served on its board for a number of years. He also was active in the Kittitas County Cattlemen’s Association. He also was a past Kittitas County Civil Defense director. He was a member of the Ellensburg Elks and Eagles lodges.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Beth Sorenson; three sons, Dick and Jim Sorenson of Seattle and Stan Sorenson of Ellensburg; a daughter, Mrs. Betty Suver of Seattle; two sisters, Mrs. Bertha Lynch of Ellensburg and Mrs. Dorothea Nylander of Seattle; a brother, Harold Sorenson of Ellensburg; six grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and other relatives.
Rosary will be said this evening 7 o’clock at the Evenson Chapel. Requiem mass will be said Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock at St. Andrew’s Catholic church. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.
All Kittitas County offices and operations will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday for the funeral.
Contributed by: Shelli Steedman
