JORGENSEN, Maurice Christian 1902-1999

JORGENSEN, PETERSEN

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 10/26/2010 at 20:48:09

MAURICE CHRISTIAN JORGENSEN

OSAGE, IOWA - Maurice Christian Jorgensen, 96, of 3516 Lancer Ave., died Saturday (March 20, 1999) on the anniversary of his wife's death. He was being cared for at the Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage for a massive stroke.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Osage, with the Rev. Dennis Hanson and the Rev. Roy Ott officiating. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Champion Funeral Home, Osage, and will continue one hour before service time at the church Tuesday.

Maurice was born on July 24, 1902, in Skagen, Denmark. He was the son of Peter and Marie (Petersen) Jorgensen. He was baptized on Aug. 24, 1902. In 1904 at the age of two, he immigrated to America with his family. They spent some time in the Carroll, Neb., area, then they moved to a farm northwest of Wisner, Neb., in 1906. In 1912 they moved to a larger farm in Brazile Mills, Neb. Maurice was a member of the first confirmation class in the new Bethesda Lutheran Church, located in Winnetoon, Neb., in 1916.

In 1926 Maurice moved to Nora, Neb., where he farmed. He married Ellen Marie Jorgensen on June 13, 1930, at the Bethany Danish Lutheran Church near Ruskin, Neb. They farmed near Nora, during the drought and Depression years. Maurice and Ellen's first two children, DeLoye and Wilmer, were born in Nora. They moved to northern Iowa in 1940, where their daughter Bonnie was born. They were members of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Riceville, Iowa.

In 1945 the family moved to the Osage area where their daughter Velda was born. Maurice continued to live there the rest of his life. His wife, Ellen, died on March 20, 1985, after she and Maurice had been married 55 years.

Maurice was an active member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Osage. He helped build the church in the early 50s. He served as a Sunday School Superintendent for many years at Our Savior's, as he had done at his previous congregations. For the Centennial History Book, Maurice wrote, "I have a driving spirit within me. The spirit of God is positive."

Maurice worked side-by-side with his son, Wilmer, for over 50 years. At age 94 Maurice harvested the entire crop. He always expressed how blessed he was in being able to continue his life-long work. Through the support of his family and the strength from God, Maurice was able to live independently with the exception of five weeks at the Faith Lutheran Home, Osage, in the fall of 1998.

During the years of their retirement, Maurice and Ellen spent the winters in Dade City, Fla. It was through the friendships they formed there that after Ellen died, Maurice enjoyed the special companionship of Hope Hains from Ludlow, Vt. In Florida, Maurice was an active member of All Faiths United Church of Christ. He was an active volunteer for the church meals, as well as preparing food baskets for the community mission work of the church.

In 1997 Maurice's children had his name engraved on the Danish Immigrant Wall of Honor at the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. Maurice took pride in his Danish heritage.

Maurice is survived by two sisters, Helen Walker of Blair, Neb., and Bertha Scheer of Rantoul, Ill.; three daughters, Mrs. Omer (DeLoye) Wilson of Waterloo, Bonnie Williams and friend, Nancy Seaberg, of Minneapolis, Minn., and Mrs John (Velda) La Coste of Osage; a son, Wilmer Jorgensen and his wife, Jan, of Osage; his grandchildren, Jacque, Mark, Sheila, Brent, Sue, Jeff, Julie, Kiersten, Tom, Jennifer and Brad; his great-grandchildren, Justin, Megan, Seth, John, Blake, Jessica, Drew, Brandon, Christian, Dakota, Echo, Jenna, Joel, Aleisha, Ryan, and Ellen; and many nieces and nephews.

Maurice was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; seven brothers, John, Joseph, Chris, Ervin, David, Carl and Raymond; three sisters, Anna, Mathea and Alma; one son-in-law, James Williams; and a special friend, Hope Haines.

Globe Gazette, March 21, 1999