Address
Locke on 4th
1519 W 4th St.
Waterloo, IA 50702
Shirley Sorensen, 95, of Waterloo, died Friday, January 9, 2026, at Friendship Village Wellspring Living.
She was born June 9, 1930, in Carroll, daughter of Ernest and Elizabeth (Zimmer) Wilson. She graduated from Monroe High School in Monroe, WI in 1948, and received a Registered Nurses degree from Allen College of Nursing in 1953. She married Alvin Sorensen on December 29, 1979, in Waterloo, he preceded her in death on February 19, 2019.
Following college Shirley was a Registered Nurse for Doctors Powers and Gerard from 1954 to 1968, Allen Memorial Hospital from 1968 to 1983 and after retirement she worked in medical records for Waterloo Internal Medicine, retiring in 1991.
Shirley was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, the Friendship Village Auxiliary, and volunteered in the health center. She enjoyed playing cards, and YMCA bus trips. She especially appreciated her nieces and nephews, watching their extended families grow; she was very proud of them all. She enjoyed participating in functions for her stepdaughter and her friends.
She is survived by her nieces and nephews: Carol Flickinger, Bobbi Vogt, Millie Peck, Kathy Hanf, David Wilson, Leslie Wilson, Martha Wilson and Tresa Wynveen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Al; siblings and their spouses: Fern and Walter Stueck, Helen Meyers, and Keith and Patricia Wilson; nieces and nephews: Sally Ludden, Mary Meyers, Jessica Wilson, and Blythe Meyers; and stepdaughter Polly Sorensen.
Funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave, with visitation one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to Friendship Village Auxiliary or Allen College of Nursing.
Visitation
January 13, 2026
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Locke at Tower Park
4140 Kimball Ave, Waterloo, IA
Funeral Service
January 13, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Locke at Tower Park
4140 Kimball Ave, Waterloo, IA
I send my condolences to Shirley. I served as the Visitation Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Waterloo from 2015 until June of 2025. I first visited Shirley when her husband Al was still alive and continued to make regular visits as well as served communion with the Deacon assigned to her, She appreciated our visits and continued to have interest in what was going on at church. She looked forward to visits from her family, all of whom lived out of town. A nephew mad regular visits and would bring her items she neede. Her favorite treat was a Hershey Bar! I am grateful for the time I shared with Shirely and send my condolences to her family.
Aunt Shirley was a special person to many people, myself included.
There are so many things that made Aunt Shirley stand out. The memory that stands out most to me are the birthday cards that would arrive each year without fail. Each card was accompanied by a hand written letter (typewritten as the years went by). Her penmanship was beautiful and it seemed her pen hardly touched the paper.
She made me feel special because I could count on a card and thoughtful letter in the mailbox each year!
Aunt Shirley, you will be missed. ❤️
Please accept our deepest condolences and know that God loves you and can restore your spirits, give you peace, and strengthen you. It sounds like she was a beautiful woman and WOW, what a wonderful and long life she lived. She was truly one of the blessed.