Clifford Allen Jorenby - White

July 6, 1936 – Sept. 18, 2018

Posted

Clifford Allen Jorenby, 82, died Sept. 18, 2018, at Brookings Health System in Brookings. 

A celebration of life is at 11 a.m. Saturday at Leganger Lutheran Church in Toronto. Visitation with the family present will be 5-7 p.m. on Friday at Leganger Lutheran Church in Toronto. Burial will be held at a later date at Leganger Lutheran Cemetery.

Clifford Allen Jorenby, the eighth child of Norman S. and Stella (Waage) Jorenby was born on July 6, 1936, at Volga. He was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith. Cliff graduated from Volga High School and worked on the family farm.  He then worked for Eugene Beckman and Son’s John Deere Equipment in Brookings. 

On Jan. 9, 1966, he married Delores (Lori) Weeks at Clarkfield Lutheran Church. They had four children: Kristen Karol, Kerri Kae, Mark Allen and Maria Sue. Cliff and Lori purchased a farm north of White where they raised their children. 

Faith and family were very important to Cliff. He held many offices serving the Lord in his church and also taught Sunday school and adult class for more than 35 years. He also enjoyed Saturday morning prayer breakfast and made lifelong friends.

He battled Parkinson’s disease gracefully in the last several years of his life.  Cliff was surrounded by his loving family when he died at the age of 82.  He was a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather and recently a great-grandfather.  

He was blessed to have family close by and was an important part of their daily lives and will be greatly missed. 

Cliff was mostly a quiet, unassuming man, a hard worker who was happiest when planting or harvesting crops with his son and grandsons.  He was humble and kind and his quick wit left memories with everyone who met him.   

Cliff is survived by his wife of more than 52 years, Lori; children Kristen (Tracy) Langer of Dell Rapids,  Kerri (Tim) Deats of Sioux Falls,  Mark (Karen) Jorenby of Aurora and Maria (Jeromy) Feldhaus of Howard;  13 grandchildren: a great-granddaughter; sister-in-law, Garnet Jorenby; and special neighbors/friends, Daniel and Gayla McKibben.

He was preceded in death by his brothers: Lyle, Donald, Carroll, Burton, John and David; and sisters: Betty Bovee, Marjorie Quam and Sharon Luze-Watt.