Wittrup, Marilyn Eleanor (Sorenson) (1930 - 2020)

WITTRUP, SORENSON, KEITH, SOCHACKI, TAYLOR, BORST, LOGAN, KUPER, JORGENSEN

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 7/18/2020 at 20:18:54

Name of deceased: Marilyn Eleanor Wittrup (nee Sorenson)

Aged: 90 yrs, 4 mo, 3 days

Residence: Harlan, IA

Born: Feb. 23, 1930; Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Died: June 26, 2020; Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Funeral services: Saturday, July 11, 2020; Pauley-Jones Funeral Home, Harlan, IA

Survived by: Husband of 71 years, Richard Wittrup; children, Kenton (spouse, Sandra) Wittrup of Lynn, MA, Alan (spouse, Shannon Keith) Wittrup of Scituate, MA, Eleanor (spouse, Steve Sochacki) Wittrup of Valley Springs CA, Katrina (spouse, Nigel) Taylor of Sancreed, Cornwall, England and Steve (spouse, Jennifer Logan) Borst of Salt Lake City, UT; 5 grandchildren; sister, Kathryn Kuper of Sioux Falls, SD; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Gordon and Agnes (nee Jorgensen) Sorenson

Education: Attended what was then Laurel School and Harlan (IA) High School, from which she graduated, Class of 1948

Religious affiliation: Baptist

Military service: n/a

Marriage: Richard Wittrup; June 7, 1949; location not provided

Employment: Homemaker

Hobbies/Interests: Marilyn’s interests were volunteering in whatever community she and Richard found themselves living. She was an accomplished musician from an early age, studying piano and organ; at age 13, she became the regular organist at Bethel Baptist Church in Harlan, IA. While in high school, she was the favored accompanist for vocalists and the pianist for musicals and other events, including Gilbert and Sullivan operettas; she was also the regular organist at the Pauley Funeral Home.

While living in Chicago early in their marriage, she became the organist at Woodlawn Baptist Church, a position she held during the rest of their stay in that city. In 1957, after moving to Lexington, KY, Marilyn became active in community work and headed up the annual fundraising drive for crippled children, particularly polio victims, a service that resulted in recognition of her by the Governor. She also directed a summer bible school at Calvary Baptist Church with an enrollment of more than 100 children.

In the Boston area by 1968, Marilyn was active in First Baptist Church. She organized and then managed Traveling Meals in Newton, MA, a 5-day-per-week meal program for seniors.

In 1977, when Richard accepted employment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, she accompanied him there. She adapted to the restrictions on women by giving piano lessons and served as rehearsal and performance pianist for the Jeddah Light Opera Company, an expat group that performed 2 times each year. While living in Saudi Arabia, they acquired an apartment in Switzerland, where she frequently retreated as a respite and where she could attend the American church (Emmanuel Episcopal) in nearby Geneva.

In 1988 Richard took a job in Detroit and Marilyn then commuted from their apartment there to the home they continued to maintain in Scituate, MA outside of Boston. Next, Richard's work took him to Houston TX in 1998 for 3 years before he finally retired in 2001, at which time they moved back to their home in Massachusetts.

They owned a small dwelling in their hometown of Harlan for many years, using it as a place to stay during their frequent visits. Seeing it as an ideal retirement site, they took up permanent residence there in 2018. Their retirement was characterized by more extensive travel which included a 12-day train trip across Siberia.

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; pauleyjones.com