In Memory of Conrad John Sorensen (1931 – 2026)
Conrad John Sorensen (Connie) was born to Earhard and Esther Sorensen in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 24, 1931, and was welcomed into his heavenly home on February 22, 2026.
Connie’s early years were filled with many great adventures in Des Moines with his older sister, Evelyn, and brothers, Edward and Arthur. He played on the “Snooseville 5” basketball team, with many memories around their family home on Wright Street. His church was very important to him, and he maintained lifelong friendships from Highland Park Lutheran Church.
Connie played on the football team at Des Moines East High School and also played at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served in England. One of his highlights while there was seeing the coronation parade for Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
Connie met Jeanne at Lake Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp when they were 14 years old during a Luther League camp, and eventually they married on September 26, 1953, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Iowa. They were married 63 years.
They spent their first years of marriage in Des Moines, where Connie worked for his father’s company, Western Soda Fountain, fabricating and installing restaurant equipment and furniture in cafeterias and diners throughout central Iowa. Their two sons, Mark and Paul, were born in Des Moines, and in 1959 the family moved to the Jacksonville, Iowa, area and eventually settled on the family farm where Jeanne grew up.
While farming, he and Jeanne were very active in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, singing in the choir, sponsoring the Luther League youth group, and sharing their faith with family and friends, while faithfully attending their sons’ many school, concert, and sporting events. They were on the board for Outreach Ministries, which launched the Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore, and Connie served on the board of Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp.
In the fall of 1976, Connie and Jeanne accepted the role as co-directors of Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp for 17 years and then served part-time for another 13 years when their son Mark was the director. Connie spent many hours sharing the vision of the camp with pastors, churches, farmers, bankers, family, and others in western Iowa who would eventually support the camp. He also led the construction and remodeling of facilities that have helped the camp become a beautiful, year-round second home for countless families and youth. Many camp counselors have expressed their appreciation for Connie and Jeanne’s investment in their lives, and Ingham-Okoboji camp has been recognized for its emphasis on youth, family, and senior adult programs. His favorite pastime at the camp was drinking coffee with campers and swapping stories of faith.
In recent years, Connie enjoyed retirement in Arizona and involvement in the Fiesta Club at Community Church of Joy and, more recently, the Men of Hope and People of Prayer groups at Hope Church, where his son Paul is pastoring. For many summers, he and Jeanne traveled back to Okoboji to volunteer at the camp. Whether in Arizona or Iowa, he loved visiting with friends and family.
Connie is preceded in death by parents, Earhard and Esther; sister, Evelyn Christiansen (Bob); and brothers, Edward (Jeane) and Arthur (Joan). He is survived by his sister-in-law, Lona (late Fred “Skip”) Louis; brother-in-law, David (Sandy) Nielsen; sister-in-law, Cheryl Nielsen (late Stan); children, Mark (Tonya) and Paul (Carol); grandchildren, Tedra (Luke) Jorgensen, Gavin, Briele, David (Desirae), and Nathan (Lana) Sorensen, and April (Matt) Brien; and great-grandchildren, Austin, Trista, Silas, Finnegan, and Anna Eleise Jorgensen, and Raya Jeanne and Elias Conrad Sorensen.
A Celebration of Life, followed by a reception, is being held for Connie at Hope Church Phoenix on Sunday, March 8th, at 3:00 pm: 26525 North 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona.
A memorial service will also be held at Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Iowa on June 20th. Memorial gifts may be given to Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp, 1203 Inwan Street, Milford, Iowa 51351; www.okoboji.org; or 1-800-OKOBOJI.
