Dorothy Ann Sorenson

Dorothy was born on January 27, 1930 in Walnut, Kansas. She was the 7th child of Clarence Moses Stanley and Edith Myers. Three additional siblings were born after Dorothy. All ten children were born on their family farm. During the summer of 1937 the family migrated to Oregon because of the great dust bowl. They purchased a home on 5 acres in Jennings Lodge. She described how 10 people lived with only 2 bedrooms and no indoor plumbing. Grandma and granddad shared the larger room with the 4 boys, Frank, Arnold, Ben and Glen. Dorothy shared a room with her 3 sisters, Ruth, Annola, and Ethel. There was a pot in the hallway for night bathroom visits. During the day they all used the outhouse for those needs. Eventually, they were able to install running water in the old farmhouse. Dorothy loved to read so much so that one time it was her turn to cook the family dinner and she was so interested in a book she burnt the entire dinner!

Dorothy attended Oregon City High School and the Jennings Lodge Church, where she met Eugene Elias Sorenson. They married on August 14, 1949 and that marriage lasted until Gene’s death in June of 2024. She had five children: Diana, Ken, Larry, David, and Lois. She resided nearly all her married life in Milwaukie, Oregon. Her husband, Gene, and son, Ken, and all her siblings, died before her. She was blessed with 9 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Dorothy was a strong confident woman who was devoted to her husband and family. Her volunteer activities hint of her love and concern for humanity, country, and her faith in God. She worked on every election board and organized all the blood drives at her church. Dorothy wasn’t much of a talker. She was a doer. Every Sunday she attended church. Again, she didn’t talk much about her faith. Instead, she lived it out. Dorothy was kind, humble, faithful, loyal, welcoming, and forgiving.

She loved being around her family and friends. She often hosted bunco parties, pinochle games, and any kind of card games. She and dad used to square dance and she would sew fancy dresses and shirts for that. She also was a skilled knitter and crocheter. She talked a lot about vacationing with her sister, Anne, at casinos and renting homes at the beach with all her siblings. She definitely had fear of missing out. When people arrived at her house, she would jump up or later in life wheeled out to greet them.

On December 1, 2024, Dorothy moved in with her daughter, Lois and son-in-law, Kevin, in the Vancouver area, where she required 24-hour care due to her declining health. Dorothy continued to enjoy her love of cards, puzzles, reading, favorite tv shows, and car rides on beautiful days. She loved sitting on the south-facing deck and waving at people who passed by.

Her new favorite friend was an 85-pound chocolate lab called Grizzly. On December 19, 2025, she fell and required more detailed care. In times of agitation, Dorothy was calmed by receiving prayer, hearing scripture, and listening to hymns and praise music. She often would sing along to Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves Me, and How Great Thou Art.

Even at the end of her life when she wasn’t feeling well, she was able to smile, laugh, and think of others. One attribute that stands out most about Dorothy is her ability to maintain a positive attitude, accepting circumstances as they occurred, and doing her best to adapt. She never forgot that she was a daughter of the King, Jesus Christ, and could enjoy His peace throughout her life. She remained living with Lois and Kevin until her death on April 18, 2026.

A Celebration of Life will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Stehn Family Chapels Milwaukie Tribute Center, Milwaukie, Oregon. Private inurnment will be held at Mountain View Cemetery, Oregon City, Oregon