Til we meet again, Br. Michael John Sorenson

Michael John Sorenson, husband, father, grandfather, soft-spoken gentleman, faithful priesthood holder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a longtime member of the Bloomington 7th Ward, passed away in the early morning hours of Thursday, December 17, 2020 from complications relating to COVID.  He returned to his loving Heavenly Father only 66 short years after he came into the world on April 10, 1954.  

He was one of three children born in Ogden to Glen and Ethel Sorenson, but grew up in Layton, UT.  After high school he served the Lord and His children as a fulltime missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Washington Seattle Mission then joined the U. S. Army where he served his Uncle Sam for 22 years.  After his military retirement, he went on to work as a teamster for another 32 years before retiring to St. George.  

 

He and Bonnie Malan, his sweetheart and wife of 42 years at the time of his passing, were married for time and eternity in the Manti Temple on January 20, 1978.  Together they lived and reared their three children in Layton and West Bountiful.  

 

Along with his family – now including 11 “grands” – he loved camping, making memories, playing practical jokes and backyard water fights.

 

Br. Mike is survived by his wife Bonnie; his children Ryan (Tiffany) Sorenson, Amber (Mike) Lusk, and Nicole (Ben) Cannon; his precious grandchildren; a brother Robert (Joy) Sorenson and his sister Joylynn (Steve) Durrant.

 

He was laid-to-rest at the Tonaquint Cemetery on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.  

 

Br. Mike will be missed by his earthly family as well as his ward family.   Rest in peace until we meet again.

Elder Jake Stokes home from Idaho

Elder Jake Stokes, oldest of John and Kris Stokes three offspring, is now Brother Stokes.  He returned home in mid-December from two years of fulltime service to the Lord and His children, first in the Idaho Nampa Mission which was restructured partway through his mission to become the Idaho Boise Mission.

"I didn't know what to expect when I started my mission in the MTC, but serving was the best decision I've ever made in my life," he notes of his choice to submit his papers after graduation from Desert Hills High School. 

What's next for this promising young man?  He starts classes in January at Dixie State University where he also hopes to play football. For the immediate future, he will work to get back in shape to play for DSU while focusing on completing general studies.  He is not yet clear on a major or a career path, but he is very clear on his need to find a job.

Regarding his two years in Idaho, he notes, "I loved every minute and I'd do it again if I had the chance!" 

Welcome home, Brother Stokes.