Mary Louise Maxwell Sorenson was born near Quinter, Kansas on September 2, 1927, and died at Presbyterian Manor in Salina, KS on December 22, 2012. She was 85 years of age.

Louise was the second of seven children born to George Earl and Mary (Hargitt) Maxwell. She graduated from Quinter High School in May 1944. Due to teacher shortages during World War II, Louise obtained an emergency certificate and, on her 17th birthday, began teaching eighth grades in a Gove County rural school in September 1944.

While teaching in Gove County, Louise obtained a B.A. in education from Fort Hays State University (FHSU) and then began a career in the Salina Public School district in 1948 as an elementary school math and science teacher. She interrupted her teaching in Salina only to obtain Masters Degrees in elementary education at FHSU and in math at Florida State University. Louise retired from teaching in 1988, but enjoyed being the bookkeeper for Salina True Value Hardware for the following 12 years. Louise was always happy and proud to be greeted by her former students.

On March 20, 1971, Louise married Rexford Scott Sorenson, a former English professor at Kansas Weslyan University. Their happy union ended with the death of Rexford in November 2010.

Louise was a life member of Alpha Delta Kappa, a teacher's sorority, and a member of the United Methodist Church. She took part in the activities of her extended family and greatly enjoyed all of her nieces and nephews.

Louise is survived by three sisters Loree Holaday of Grinnell, Kansas, Anita (William) Bray of Hawthorne, Nevada, and Luella Hadland of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada; two brothers Gordon (Evelyn) Maxwell of Salina, Kansas, and Laverne (Marlene) Maxwell of Quinter, Kansas; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Leonard Maxwell of Hanston, Kansas, who died in 1999, and her nephew Larry Maxwell of Quinter, Kansas, who died in 1979.

Funeral services for Louise will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 28, 2012 at the United Methodist Church of Quinter. Burial will be in the Baker Township Cemetery, Quinter.

Visitation will be Friday from Noon to Service time at the church.

Memorial Contributions are suggested to the United Methodist Church of Quinter and may be sent in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752.

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