Cousin Bob passed away January 30, 2018 due to complications following surgery for an anuerism. He was 84 years old.
Above are Ord cousins. Susan Ord is in the center. She made the arrangements for the graveside service. I believe she had one sister there, and three cousins. But I'm really not sure. Bob's mother, our Aunt Blanche, was an Ord.
Cousins on both sides, along with a good friend, were the pall bearers. They did not have an easy time of it, as it was up hill.
I do believe Robert nearly slipped into the grave! Most pall bearers were expecting to set it down and have it roll forward on rollers, but it had none. It was up to them to place it properly and centered, so it required extra lifting and moving. It was not an easy task and some were quite elderly (like 93) !
Me and Robert at the gravesite after the service.
There was not a large crowd of people there, a few cousins from the Ord side with spouses (some of them), one friend, and four of us from the Sorensen side. It was our first time to meet Kim and Cindy Sorensen from Murray, Utah. Kim is Fred Sorensen's son, and Fred is Bob's cousin. That makes Robert Autrey and me second cousins to Kim.
We gathered at the Larkin Sunset Gardens mortuary, Robert Autrey said the family prayer when the casket was closed, then we made our way out to the gravesite. The service was short. Susan shared a few remarks. I wasn't aware that Bob was visiting both sides of his family when he traveled to California as a youngster, but he also had Ord cousins there and he and Susan were quite close as youngsters and renewed that friendship and relationship when she moved to Salt Lake in the 90's (I believe that's when she said). He helped her with her yard. I also never knew that Bob was a member of the Iris Society and was a judge. He was very good at what he did and excelled in growing prize iris flowers. I wish I would have known earlier! I shared a few thoughts about what a great friend and mentor he was to our cousin, Christine, in California, with a lively correspondence, thoughtful letters, kind wishes and cute articles about animals that Bob knew Christine's child would enjoy. He was very thoughtful of both of them and always remembered their special occasions. He was loved and will be missed.
After the pall-bearers left their carnations on the casket, Kim Sorensen gave the dedicatory prayer for the gravesite. We all made our way back to the Mortuary once more. Susan had made a lovely display in the viewing room (and Bob looked very good, by the way), of many of his photos and family history items. She had them mostly divided between Ord and Sorensen, with some "unknown" in the middle. We had all been instructed to help ourselves to whatever we wanted, as she wanted to take none of it back home. I took a few of the items shown below.
Bob's good friend (whose name escapes me) took this lovely watercolor painting of irises.
Above is a floral arrangement "From the Sorensen Cousins." I believe those were the only flowers there. I did leave a nice pot of white mums on his gravesite. (I wish I would have known how much he adored irises! Not that I could have found any around at this time of year.)
In the viewing room with one small table. The other tables were larger, and there were easels with framed photos and paintings, as well.
At the Cemetery. It was a small group.
A leather belt with silver buckle. Inlaid turquoise and coral-color stones. It's about a size 31 inch waist. The buckle is 3 inches long by 1 3/4 inches wide. I don't know where it came from, but I can surmise it was a purchase from a trip to Utah/Arizona. He had a number of framed photos he'd taken (I would assume) of Lake Powel and other red-rock areas of Southern Utah. I did not take any of those. One looked just like one I have on my bedroom wall of Rainbow Arch. It was just as faded as mine. ha.
These are small embroidered linen items. From small "coaster" size, to napkin, to place mat? I'm not really sure, but I thought they were cute. I'm pretty confident that Bob did not do them, but I am fairly sure that possibly his mother did, or maybe an auntie on the Sorensen side. You never know. But nobody else seemed interested in taking them, so I did. I have some other linens that my mother gave to me that they will go nicely with. (Not matching, but that they are old family things that are "keepers.")
This is a large framed photo of the Mendon, Utah house with lots of people out front that need identifying. I have many photos that need identifying.
I have a small stack of letters from 1900 to and from Peter A Sorensen to his family in Mendon whe he was on a mission in Norway. Kim and Cindy Sorensen have the other half of this old stack of letters. I think it is important that they ALL be scanned and preserved digitally and shared among the family. I will work on contacting them and making sure they do, too.
Here is the front cover of his funeral program
Inside the front cover
Inside
Back cover
And this is a really fun photo I found of both of my grandparents, Aunt Maureen, my Mom, Aunt Tuny and Cousin Fred. I'd assumed it was Bob, but Mom had an excellent family history story to share with me immediately when I scanned and shared it with her:
Oh my goodness! I’ll never forget that day we spent on that pier at Saltaire. What a fun day. Fred and I took the last ride on the big roller coaster before it was shut down because of the high wind. I’d never ridden a roller coaster before and have never ridden one since. it was so scary and Fred’s sailor hat blew off and he never found it. We had so much fun with our cousins every summer.
I also brought home this teeny little foot stool. It has lovely dainty crewell embroidery on the top. I thought it might be a nice addition to the Sorensen Family Guest room at my home. Unless someone else in the family really wants it. I'd be more than pleased to let it go to a good home.
Rest in peace, Bob. I'm sure you are having a lovely reunion with family and friends. Give Aunt Maureen, Uncle Owen, and my grandparents a hug from me, OK?
Here are a few more photos.
A photo of my Grandpa Virgil Philip Sorensen I found. That was a happy little surprise! "Salt Lake City, July 15, 1947" is typed on he back. (Yes, typed!)
This is Aunt Maureen an her Henry J. October 1950. Sorry it's so dark. I have the original and will scan it properly. Soon. I hope. Aunt Maureen sent it to Bob. I recognize her handwriting on the back. :-)
And this was another fun little find. Maureen and Goldy horsing around. Salt Lake, 1946.
You can tell they didn't grow up around guns. That is the first rule of gun safety we westerners teach our wee ones--never point a gun at a person, even a toy one. But I don't think it works with kids who grew up using their imaginations and playing cowboys and indians, cops and robbers.
Cousin Bob and Aunt Maureen
Please let me know if you would like any of these photos.
Love,
Linda
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