Delores Eileen "Babe" Sorenson , 86, Minot, displaced to Bismarck by the flood, died Wednesday, February 8, 2012, in a Bismarck nursing home.

Babe was born on January 6, 1926 on a farm near Underwood, ND to Guy and Elsie (Larsen) Payne. She attended all 12 years of school in Underwood and earned a degree at Minot State University with a triple major in English, Social Studies, and Education. She did graduate work at North Dakota State University, San Jose State Teacher's College, and the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Babe married Leslie Sorenson on August 10, 1950, at Underwood. They made their home at Max, ND where both were employed at the Max Public School. She served as principal and English teacher there from 1948 to 1952. In the fall of 1952, they moved to Minot where she accepted the position of English teacher and supervisor of student teachers at Minot Model High School until 1968 when Model High closed. In 1969 the Sorensons moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where both were employed by the Kenosha Unified School District. Ten years later they returned to Underwood to assist her mother who was in ill health. Mrs. Payne died months later.

Mrs. Sorenson then continued teaching English at the Underwood High School for nine years. Her rheumatoid arthritis forced her to retire in 1989 after teaching a total of 40 years. A year later the couple returned to Minot where they lived until being displaced by the flood of 2011 and moved to the Edgewood Vista in Bismarck.

Mrs. Sorenson was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church, Delta Kappa Gamma, Tri Sig Sorority, YWCA, American Federation of Teachers, and National Council of English. She was a volunteer for the Easter Seal Society, Heart and Cancer Drives, and other numerous charities. The Sorensons were honored at the Anne Carlsen Center for Children in Jamestown for 25 years of dedicated volunteer work supervising students and sending Christmas gifts yearly to every student at that school. While teaching in Wisconsin she also organized groups to remember the less fortunate during the Christmas holidays at Southern Colony.

Babe is survived by her loving husband of 61 years Leslie; sister: Arlette Payne (Oscar Peterson) of Bismarck; brother: Llewellyn (Micki) Payne of Boise Idaho; brother-in-law: Lloyd (Geri) Sorenson and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Babe was preceded in death by her parents, brother Howard Payne and brother-in-law: LeRoy Sorenson.

Funeral Service: Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. in Bread of Life Lutheran Church - Minot.

Interment will be in Rosehill Memorial Park - Minot.

Visitation: Sunday from noon until 5:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.

Memorials are preferred to the Augustana Lutheran Church or the Anne Carlson Center for Children in Jamestown.