Ralph Sorensen

89, Plumber

Ralph E. Sorensen, 89, of Grand Island died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Volney Lofgreen will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to the Grace Children's Home or First Christian Church.

Mr. Sorensen was born June 14, 1912, to Carl H. Sorensen and Mary E. Jensen. He grew up in Dannebrog where he attended Dannebrog High School. The family moved to Grand Island in 1930 where he took up the plumbing trade. He worked as a plumber until July 1942 when he entered the United States Army. He served during World War II in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Most of this time was spent in New Caledonia as well as the Philippines and Japan. During his tenure in the Army he was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He was a sergeant at the time of his honorable discharge in December 1945. Upon returning to Grand Island, he started his own plumbing business.

He married Maxine Holz on April 4, 1946, in Grand Island where the couple remained. He ran his own plumbing business until his retirement on Jan. 1, 1980.

Survivors include his wife.

He was preceded in death by one brother and three sisters.