Sonya Norton

JEFFERSON, S.D. -- Sonya Jean (Jorgensen) Norton, 41, of rural Jefferson died unexpectedly Friday, May 2, 2008.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10, 2008 at McCook Lake United Methodist Church in McCook Lake, S.D., with the Rev. Ken Parks officiating. Visitation with the family will be 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel in Sioux City. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Sonya was born Sunday, June 18, 1966, in Huron, S.D., as a Father's Day gift daughter of Shirley Rae (Phillips) Jorgensen and Donald Gene Jorgensen. Kindergarten and elementary schooling were started in Houston, Texas. Elementary school was finished and high school was started in Lawrence, Kan. She attended college in Ankeny, Iowa, Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

She married James Norton in Chicago, Ill., in 1988 at the Chicago City Hall. While in Chicago, she worked as a secretary for several Chicago firms. In 1994, she moved to Dakota Dunes and worked as a secretary for several Sioux City firms. In 1998, she started a new career as an over-the-road truck driver for Mid Continent Transport out of Sioux Falls, S.D. In 2000, she worked as a truck driver for Nebraska Atlantic of Gretna, Neb. In 2005, she worked as a shipping trouble shooter for Millard Storage and Distribution of Millard, Neb. In 2007, she started work in the transportation and claims department of Tyson Foods in Dakota Dunes.

She enjoyed many sports, especially NASCAR and the University of Kansas Jayhawks basketball (2007-2008 was a good year). She was a skilled skier, enjoyed mushroom hunting and fishing along the Missouri River. She most enjoyed board games with her family.

She was an especially energetic person and a very spiritual person with a strong belief in God. She was a trusting and loving person and more importantly, she was compassionate and most forgiving. She was outgoing, social and she brought joy to all who surrounded her. Her family and friends will dearly miss her.

She had a special relations with her nieces and nephews. She spent as much time as she could with them and when time allowed, she would take them with her on over-the-road truck trips or have them visit her. She was a loving aunt to each of them and she also had a close relations with all her cousins.

She is survived by her father, Donald Jorgensen of Jefferson; her older sister and her husband, Diana Lee and Russell Laird and their daughters, Rachel and Erin of La Marque, Texas; her older brother and his wife, Dane R. and Kristi Jorgensen and their sons, Eric and Ryan and daughter, Kaitlin of Lawrence, Kan.; special friends, Joyce Olson and family of Valley, Neb., Dave and Jeanette Jorgensen and family of Jefferson and Robert and Delores Phillips and family of Jefferson.

She was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Shirley Rae Jorgensen.

Contributions can be made in her memory to the Bomgaars Cancer Center.