Judith M. Sorensen, 92, of Cherokee passed away on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at Cherokee Specialty Care.
It was Judy's wish to be cremated. Boothby Funeral Home of Cherokee is assisting the family with arrangements.
Judy was born on Sept. 2, 1933, to George and Juanita (Bruneau) Knittel at Stevens, S.D. Raised in Westside of Sioux City, she graduated from Central Sioux City High School in 1951. She started working at Armour Foods and met a co-worker's brother rollerskating, named Loren Sorensen. He asked for her hand in marriage the very first time they met and built them a new house in the very spot he proposed a year later.
They were united in marriage on May 23, 1952. They had five children, four girls and a boy: Lauren, Marcene, Martee, Dawn and Richard. Their marriage lasted a lifetime. They later relocated their family to Cherokee where Judy was employed by the Mental Health Hospital for 25 years until her retirement in 1993.
She liked spending her time seeing the country traveling in their motorhome and spending time with the grandchildren. She loved visiting casinos, amusement parks and going to dirt track races. Her heart was always open and accepting. Loren passed away in 2020 after 68 years of marriage and now they are back together again skating.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Loren Sorensen; brother George Knittel; sister Sherry (Gene) Strong; granddaughter Brooklynn Petersen; and son-in-law Dale Bakker Jr.
She is survived by her children: Lauren Bakker of Cherokee; Marcene (Paul) Means of Brainerd, Minn.; Martee Heinse of Cherokee; Dawn (Dale) Henke of Cherokee; and Richard Sorensen of Cherokee; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
