Gertrude Mary "Trudy" (Okrzesa) Soreide

Gertrude Mary Soreide went to her heavenly home Friday, October 7, 2022 at Mary’s Woods Community in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Trudy’s wishes were to be cremated. A Catholic Memorial Mass will be Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 11:00 AM in the Chapel of the Holy Names located at Mary’s Woods. Rev. Richard Berg, CSC will officiate. Committal and inurnment will follow at Willamette National Cemetery at 2:15 PM.

Memorial contributions are suggested to a small parochial school, grades Kindergarten – 6th near where Trudy went to school: St. Mary’s School, PO Box 123 Ord, NE  68862

Condolences may be sent to Virgil Soreide: 17480 Holy Names Dr. Unit 231 Lake Oswego, OR  97034

Riverview Abbey Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.

Trudy was born March 14, 1928 in Valley County Nebraska to John and Mary (Swinionoga) Okrzesa.  She had six siblings – Joseph, Julius, Rose, Ann, Rudolph, and Martha. Her early years were spent on farm near Elyria, Nebraska. Her father was a share cropper and their home was part sod and part wood frame. They cooked and heated with a woodstove and had no running water (water was carried from the windmill); night light, was a kerosene lamp; they had no phone, and transportation was a horse and wagon. The school house was two miles away, so they walked. The school children had one pencil and a tablet and were very careful when sharpening not to use up too much lead.

Dust storms came along with a depression, drought and a grasshopper infestation; the farm was lost. Her father was diagnosed with cancer and died when Trudy was 12. Eventually, the family moved to nearby Ord where Trudy graduated from Ord, NE High School in 1946.

Having an interest in medicine, Trudy went to work for Dr. Weeks, a local physician. During the blizzard of 1949, they made a mercy flight in a Piper Cub airplane to a farm. She remembered everything being snow white and they landed in a pasture where they checked on a sick woman and left medicine.

Trudy always wanted to be a nurse, so in 1950 she started nursing school at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Omaha. She remembered a nun who always stressed respecting the human body, the elderly, and being honest. She Graduated from Creighton University Nursing School in 1953, and then by the flip of a coin, she and a fellow nurse friend headed to Portland, Oregon. There, Trudy worked as a Registered Nurse and on August 4, 1956 became the bride of Virgil Soreide. Their married life was spent mostly in Portland with a Stint in San Clemente, CA, due to Virgil’s work.

Trudy enjoyed golf, playing bridge, knitting, reading, travelling with Virg, and caring for and walking the dogs they had along the way.

In July of 2015, Trudy and Virg moved from their home to Mary’s Woods retirement community in Lake Oswego, OR. Those left to mourn her passing are her husband Virgil, Sister Martha Shoemaker, and many nieces and nephews.

Trudy stated –

I think I lived in the best of times, as a child I had the love of my parents. After my father died, my mother was always at my side and gave me love and support. Then along came Virgil to continue the TLC. It is 66 years of his love that has brought me to this age. We both have our faith to lead the way. All I can say is, “Thank you, God”.

God Bless You All!

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