John and Effie (Sampson) Sorem lived in the very northeast corner of Milford Twp on the east side of Sec 1 with their family of 8 children: Stanley `47, Richard `50, Art `52, Donna `55, Barbara `57, Ronald `61, Sandra `62N and Dale `64N. All attended Milford Twp School. The oldest six graduated from Milford Twp and the younger two graduated in Nevada after the 1961 school consolidation.
John Sorem, patriarch of the Sorem family in Milford Twp, from a 1939 snapshot. He immigrated alone to the United States at the age of 17 from Etne, Norway.
In the two school years of 1951 and 1952 there were six Sorem children on the school bus.
The three oldest boys, Stanley, Richard and Art were bus drivers and were Presidents of their respective senior classes. Richard was the Story County 4-H President in 1950 and Art was Story County 4-H Sec-Treasure the following year. John was the Story County Fair Board President in 1951.
John started a successful farm supply dealership, specializing in grain bin construction in the early sixties and when he retired, his sons, Dale and Ronnie, carried on. Art took over the farming tasks and farmed 32 years and later worked at Bethany Manor in Story City and at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames.
Stanley and Richard operated their own businesses and all three girls took nurses training.
Donna and her husband, Bill Woods, are missionaries for "Campus Crusade for Christ" and served in Africa for years and are "retired" in Colorado.
Barbara and her husband, Duane Brodie, `57, were long time farmers on the north side of Sec 33 Milford Twp and raised a family of 3 boys and 1 girl: Garnet'77N, Brent'78N, Chris'80N, and Boyd'81. They retired in c. 2002. Boyd Brodie Page 70. See also pages 90, 166, 231, 334.
Richard served in the Air Force 4 years, Art in the Army 3 years, and Dale in the Army 2 years.
Richard and Stanley both passed away in the winter of 2008-'09.