Daniel Eugene Sorenson, age 79, of Rice Lake, Wis., died Wednesday, June 8th at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

He was a teacher, counselor and coach for 33 years in St. Paul. At retirement in 1994, they moved to Edgewater where he became an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Birchwood.

His lifelong love of learning led him and Shirley to visit all 50 states and much of the world with places of historical value, presidential history and family genealogy being his favorites. Dan loved a good story. Whether it was shared around the table, on the phone or read in books and magazines he had an incredible memory for stories. He wrote three books in addition to chronicling much of the family history and genealogy.

He felt blessed to have his roots on a farm in Inwood, Iowa. Recounting stories of school, farming, friends, community members and church gave him material for two of his books. Our Savior's Lutheran Church where he was baptized, confirmed and firmly grounded in his lifelong Christian faith was a very special place to him.

Sharing a great meal with friends and family was another of his passions. From old favorites to a newly discovered restaurant to a gourmet meal of his own creation, they all became opportunities to connect with those he loved. Many will recount how a good meal was often wrapped up by his beloved Parker pen emerging from his pocket and plans for a new project being sketched on a napkin or back of a placemat.

“Have tools will travel” was often his motto as he loved to build, restore and repair. Whether it was a broken chair, his old one room schoolhouse, a new church sanctuary, bedrooms, cabin, garage, or antique furniture — no project was too big or small to tackle.

His passion for helping people drew him away from teaching art into counseling so he could help students navigate the route to college and fulfilling their dreams. While he treasured his undergraduate days at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and had many funny stories about his master’s classes at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, he wanted to make going to college smoother and more financially accessible for others than it was for him. Seeing his counselees succeed gave him huge satisfaction.

Family meant everything to him and he was immensely proud of his children’s and grandchildren’s every accomplishment. Dan and Shirley spent a lot of time on the road attending sporting events, graduations, concerts and celebrations. The family cabin was a favorite gathering place for weekends spent together.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shirley (Stockwell) Sorenson ‘59 of Rice Lake, Wis.; a son and daughter-in-law, Curtis and Katie Sorenson of Milton, Wis.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Beth and Mark Olchefske of Albert Lea, Minn., and Ann and John Krance of Barron, Wis.; 10 grandchildren, Sasha, Chelsea (Anton Grove), Trevor, Kendra, and Bryant Olchefske, Michael and Matthew Stumpf, Catherine, Collin, and Ian Krance; two great grandchildren, Ollie and Zoe; three sisters, Ruth (David) Chapman of Green Valley, Ariz., Dorothy (Robert) Howell of Middleton, Wis., and Marilyn (R. Michael) Fry of Torrance, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Olaf and Agnes Sorenson.

Funeral Services were June 18th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Birchwood, Wis., Rev. Jon Paquette officiating. Visitation was June 17th at Appleyard’s Home for Funerals in Rice Lake, Wis. Internment was at Our Savior’s Lutheran Cemetery in Inwood, Iowa, on June 19, 2016.

Memorials would be appreciated to Trinity Lutheran Church, Birchwood, Lutheran World Relief or Luther College, Decorah, IA.