Delbert Lee Sorge

Funeral services for Delbert will be Tuesday, February 9, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church. Pastor Stephen Kruschel will officiate the service. Graveside services will follow the funeral and be held in the Geneva Public Cemetery. Visitation is Monday from 1:00 p.m .to 8:00 p.m. with family present from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Farmer & Son Funeral Home in Geneva. Memorials are directed to the Grace Lutheran Church or the Geneva Volunteer Fire Department. Delbert Lee Sorge was born to Albert & Odessa (Ebbeka) Sorge on October 27, 1930 in Carleton, NE, and joined his Heavenly Father on February 5, 2016, at Heritage Crossings in Geneva, NE, at the age of 85 years, 3 months, and 9 days with his son by his side. He was the oldest of three children in the family. Delbert was baptized on November 16, 1930 in Carleton. His parents moved frequently so his dad could work; therefore, he lived in Carleton, Kiowa, Shelby, rural Bruning, rural Fairmont, and Geneva. His sister, Delores, remembers her older brother hiding from his parents and one time being left behind because he was nowhere to be found as well as always dancing a jig. Delbert attended country school west of Bruning, Bruning Public, and transferred to Geneva High School in February of 1946. He graduated from Geneva High School with the Class of 1948. During the summers of Delbert’s high school years he would ride the train from Fairmont to the western part of Nebraska where he worked on the Belheimer’s ranch. He started working for the Nebraska State Department of Roads March 27, 1949. He was a maintenance worker and worked his way to supervisor before being promoted to superintendent on September 25, 1988. He retired on December 28, 1992 with 43 years of working the roads. His favorite part of the job was “blowing the snow” from the snowstorms. He mentored many state employees and took pride in training Chris “Bubba” Dunker in the ways of snow blowing. Bert also retrieved stranded motorists and would bring them to his home to stay until travel was safe. Delbert met the love of his life, Ruth Engle, at a Friday night football game in Geneva in the fall of 1949. He literally knocked her off her feet by running into her. They were married on Sunday, May 25, 1952, at the United Church of Christ in Geneva. He became a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church on October 29, 1932. He received his first communion on July 4, 1948. Bert was a dedicated member of Grace for 83 years and served his church through the years as an Elder, Trustee, Financial Secretary and Secretary. Delbert and Ruth lived in Geneva their entire married life. To their union were born Danny Lee and Victoria Lynne. They were parents to Laura Herrera, a foreign exchange student from Mexico. He was a loving, but strict disciplinarian, father. He was a very caring individual in his quiet way. He instilled the trait of hard work, but to always put family first. He was proud of his children’s accomplishments. He and Ruth were Ohiowa Bulldog, Shickley Longhorn, and Bruning-Davenport-Shickley Eagle volleyball supporters for 38 years as Dan coached. They also followed Vicki in her careers and were able to travel to Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls in 2009 with her. Bert was involved in all aspects of his grandsons’ lives. In 1988, Bert & Ruth shared a vacation with the grandsons, where Bert went swimming with them in Hot Springs like he had done years before with Dan and Vicki. He gained “granddaughters” as the grandsons married. The last fourteen years brought nine great-grandkids to continue his special journey with them. Delbert loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter, hunting whatever was in season from pheasants, rabbits, ducks, or deer in the local areas, to antelope in western Nebraska, and elk in Colorado. Ronald Bauer and Bert enjoyed numerous pheasant hunting seasons. His deer hunting buddies included his son, daughter, grandsons, Dick Deets, and Gaylord Songster. As the seasons changed, his sport would change to fishing. Favorite fishing spots were Glen Elder, the Blue River and family vacations with the pop-up camper at Lake McConaughy and Lovewell. Ruth was a good sport about these trips since she did not fish or love water. There were annual fish fries in the driveway to share the catch of the season. Delbert and Ruth enjoyed gardening and taught this skill to neighborhood children. Many friends benefited from their harvest. Although Bert was a man of few words, he was a man of many talents. As a handyman, he could fix just about anything. Although not a farmer himself, he helped harvest many years with George Engle, Steve Ozenbaugh, and other local farmers. Another pastime was card playing. He was on the Geneva Traveling League and almost every afternoon you could find him in a pitch game at the VFW. Delbert was on the Geneva Volunteer Fire Department for 38 years, retiring in 1999. He has been an honorary member since. Delbert and Ruth were blessed to celebrate 63 years together and only 21 days separated their lives on earth. Delbert was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ruth; his parents, Albert & Odessa Sorge; parents-in-law; Constantine & Emma Engle; infant brother Norman Sorge; brother-in-laws & wife George (Phyllis) Engle Sr., Harold (Helen) Engle, & Willis (Beth) Engle; brother-in-laws Frank Engle, Ronald Uldrich & and sister-in-law Anna Vnoucek. He is survived by son Dan Sorge, Strang; daughter Vicki Ozenbaugh, Ohiowa; sister Delores Spivey, Florida; sister-in-laws Eleanor (Arlan) Becker, Exeter, and Mary Uldrich, Milligan; brother-in-law Joe Vnoucek, Friend; grandsons Phillip (Nancy) Ozenbaugh, Hallam; Mitchell (Katrina) Ozenbaugh, Ohiowa; Russell (Krissy) Ozenbaugh, Strang; great-grandchildren Olivia, Trevor, Preston, Leah, Wyatt, Karolyn, Cynthia, Riggins, & Rustin; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral services were conducted from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Geneva, NE on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Stephen Kruschel officiating. Denise Hinrichs accompanied the congregation, who sang “Softly and Tenderly” and “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” Pallbearers were nephews Galen Lovelace, Jerry Engle, Bob Engle, David Uldrich, Alex Uldrich, Tim Engle and godson Scott Madison. Honorary pallbearers were grandsons Phillip Ozenbaugh, Mitchell Ozenbaugh, and Russell Ozenbaugh; Kenneth Ebbeka, & Chris Dunker. Interment was in the Geneva Public Cemetery with Farmer and Son Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Memorials are directed to Grace Lutheran Church and Geneva Volunteer Fire Department.

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Delbert Lee Sorge

October 27, 1930 - February 5, 2016