Susan (Sue) Elaine Lorenzen, of Grinnell, formerly of George and Rock Rapids, who was lovingly known as Momma Sue, was a beloved mom, grandma, great grandma, daughter, sister, and friend. Sue passed away on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell, surrounded by friends and family after a lengthy battle with multiple cancers.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, February 19, 2018 at the Grinnell Friends Church. Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.
Visitation will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell and her family will receive friends from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Memorials may be designated to the Friends Church in Grinnell and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with Sue’s family online at www.smithfh.com.
Sue was born to Dorothy Van Hoorn on June 28, 1947 in Murrieta, California. After a tragic accident, which took Dorothy’s life, her grandmother Lena DeGroot and aunt Evelyn Grotewold of George, Iowa, raised her and then later in life her stepfather, Willard Van Hoorn, also adopted her.
After high school, Sue continued her education, eventually receiving her master’s degree from the University of Redlands in California. Sue married Dwight Ray Lorenzen on April 2, 1971 in Rock Rapids, Iowa. After they married, Sue started working for DGR. In 1979 they moved to California, so Sue could pursue a job for GTE, which ultimately brought them back to Iowa in 1997. She took an early retirement from Iowa Telecom in 2001 but went on to pursue her Series 7 license and became an investment broker for Edwards Jones in Urbandale, Iowa, where she retired in 2005.
Sue had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way. During her life Sue and Dwight gave their time to foster several children before having a few of their own. Sue truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures: playing cards, playing Scrabble, chatting with friends and family, camping, and helping her grandchildren with math problems and video chatting.
Sue will be forever remembered by Evelyn Grotewold, George, IA, who Sue thought of as a mother and her children call Grandma Evie; her brothers, Rod (Starla) Cairns of Crossville, Tennessee and Billy (Sheila) Ver Hoef of Calvin, Louisiana; her children, Heather (Chris) Laughter of Saratoga Springs, Utah, Nicole Lorenzen of Grinnell, Danielle (Ryan) Thomson of Grinnell, and Michael (Lauren) Lorenzen of Brooklyn, Iowa; grandchildren, Lia (Isaac) Gerke of Longmont, Colorado, Nic (Jessica) Laughter of Orem, Utah, Joshua Lorenzen of Grinnell, Jase Lorenzen of Brooklyn, and Liam Thomson of Grinnell; and 3 great grandchildren. Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy and Willard Van Hoorn; husband, Dwight Lorenzen; and brother, Robert Van Hoorn.
