Eleanor “Granny” Sorger, age 82, of Wolf Point, MT passed away at her home on Friday, February 5, 2010.
She was born to Strandvold Knudsen and Gerda Pederson Knudsen in her Aunt Marie and Uncle Marinus Lynggard’s home on October 9, 1927 at McCabe, MT. Eleanor was the first daughter and the third child of six, growing up in the Bredette community and attending the Bredette one room school. Her first two years of high school were by correspondence from the Montana State Correspondence School in Missoula, MT and the other two years were at Poplar High School, graduating with the class of 1945.
WWII had begun and there was a severe teacher’s shortage so Eleanor was granted an emergency teaching certificate to teach 4 students at Grandview School in NW Richland County 1945-1946. She worked for Co-op Grocery Store in Poplar for the next year, married Leo Wolchesky in October of 1947 in Scobey, MT and moved to Columbia Falls where he worked at Hungry Horse Dam. A son, Wayne Alan Wolchesky was born October 2, 1949 in Kalispell, MT. They divorced in Jan 1951 in Wallace, Idaho.
Eleanor moved to Wolf Point, MT and worked 11 years in the County Superintendant of Schools office and served as school clerk for Rural School District #1 until the district was abandoned in the 1960’s. In 1958 she married WC “Bill” Sorger and a few years later a daughter Delores Elizabeth was born. Eleanor and Bill were married until his death in 1976.
She worked at the Sears Catalog Store 1974-77 and then for the Roosevelt County Clerk & Recorders office retiring in 1989. She worked as Desk Clerk at the Sherman Motor Inn from 1991 until 1997.
She took Delores’ childhood friends under her wing where she was affectionately known as “Mrs. Beanhead”, “Bologna” and “Ella”.
She would drop everything at a moments notice whenever she was needed. Her happiest times were that spent with her family. We will miss her wisdom, hugs and kisses. Our hearts are broken but with time we will heal. In Granny’s words…this too shall pass.
Granny loved her children and grandchildren. She devoted her time to help in raising her two grandchildren, T’Elle and Cale. She spent time teaching them to read and write. Granny loved to read and was interested in Montana history and stories by Montana authors. She was a good sport jumping rope, and was even known to toss a “Granny shot” at the basketball hoop and break a sweat playing Rock Band. Granny was frugal and Heloise didn’t have any handy hints that she didn’t already know! She made the best cinnamon rolls ever!
Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Strandvold and Gerda Knudsen; two brothers Art and Cliff Knudsen and just recently a dear friend, Lila Elgie.
Granny is survived by her daughter Delores (Chris) Evans and grandchildren T’Elle and Cale Evans, all of Wolf Point, MT and her son, Wayne (Rose) and Marielle Wolchesky of Norwalk CA; her sister, Betty Hubbard of Stevensville, MT and two brothers, Alan Knudsen of Missoula, MT and Roy (Maude) Knudsen of Fort Shaw, MT; two sisters-in-law, Bernice Knudsen of Scobey and Betty Borden of Charlo, MT. Other survivors include: her extended family of Bill’s kids: Annie (John) Sorley of Wolf Point and families and Rita (Pat) O’Connor of Miles City and families and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday, February 11, 2010 at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel, Wolf Point, MT. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 12, 2010 also at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel with Sr. Mary Hourigan officiating. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, Wolf Point, MT. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.stevensonandsons.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.