Al Jorgensen

Memorial services for Albert "Al" Walter Jorgensen, of Albert Lea, will be held at 1:30 P.M. on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at First Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. The Reverend John Holt will officiate. Military Honors will be accorded by Albert Lea Veteran's Organizations. Friends may visit with family from 12:00- Noon until the time of the service at the church on Thursday. Al died on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at Rochester Methodist Hospital, following a brief illness. He was 71. He was born on March 28, 1941, in Austin, Minnesota, the son of Albert Walter and Evelein (Karnetz) Jorgensen. Al grew up on the east side of Austin, later moving to a farm south of Austin. He graduated from Rose Creek High School with the class of 1959 and then received his Associates Degree from Austin Community College. Al served our country in the US Army, having been stationed in Germany. Following his Honorable Discharge, he continued his education at Mankato State University. He married Susan Penne on June 7, 1968, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mankato. In 1969 they moved to California, returning to make Albert Lea their home in 1972. Al returned to Mankato State University, obtaining his BS Degree in Social Studies in 1974. Al was an engineering and survey technician for Jones, Haugh & Smith and Zenk, Read and Trygstad in Albert Lea and then the Department of Transportation, St. Paul, from which he retired in 2007. He was a member of First Lutheran Church where he taught Sunday School and Confirmation classes. He also was a member of Rotary Club and the American Legion. He enjoyed being an active participant at our Community Theater and volunteering at the Albert Lea Library. He had many interests, which included card playing especially bridge, cribbage, and 500; reading, photography, and dining and spending time with friends and family. Al had a great passion for travel and since his retirement toured England, Scotland, Italy, Paris, the South of France, Greece, Turkey, California and Florida. He will be greatly missed by his family, wife Susan of Albert Lea, three daughters: Melissa and husband Troy Gaul and their daughters Sabrina and Rebecca of North Oaks, MN, Amanda and husband Scott Sherpe of Boulder, CO, and Elizabeth "Betsy" Jorgensen and husband Richard Archer of Minneapolis, MN; sister-in-law Jane Penne Morse and husband Wickham of Vista, CA; niece Jill Snodgrass and husband Steve and daughters Claire and Mara of Omaha, NE, and nephews Brett Brewer of Omaha, NE and Scott Brewer of Fort Worth, TX. He was preceded in death by his father Albert Walter Jorgensen, his mother Evelein Cole, his step-father Roland Cole, sister Judith Brewer and her husband Lee and father-in-law and mother-in-law Floyd and Muriel Penne.