Ellrene B. Sortland

May 5, 1940 - March 16, 2018

Ellrene Sortland, 77, Valley City, ND passed away at Ave Maria Village in Jamestown, ND on March 16, 2018, after a long battle with kidney disease. Ellrene Betsy Berntson was born May 5, 1940 in Valley City, ND to Alfred and Helen (Sorenson) Berntson. She was raised in rural Barnes County attending schools in Green Township and Hastings before graduating from Svea High School in 1958. She attended Valley City State Teacher’s College for two years prior to becoming a first grade teacher at Litchville Public School in 1960. She taught first grade in Litchville for eight years until retiring in 1968 to start her family. She finished her teaching degree at Valley City State Teacher’s College in 1970. In 1961 Ellrene married Duane Sortland at First Lutheran Church in Valley City. They farmed near Litchville, ND until moving to Valley City in 2007.Family was always very important to Ellrene. Being the oldest in a family of 14 children prepared her well for her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother. She was devoted to her husband and her three sons, taking interest in all of their activities, and often putting their interests before her own. She loved being a grandmother and looked for every opportunity to see her grandchildren and spend time with them. Ellrene also had a very special circle of friends and family that she kept in contact with frequently. She was always looking out for the needs of her loved ones and was eager to celebrate their accomplishments and also to mourn with them and pray for them in the difficult times. Ellrene was a member of Elim Evangelical Free Church of Litchville and Valley City. She served as Sunday School Superintendent and church board secretary. Ellrene also served on the Valley City State University V-500 Board and the Mercy Hospital Advisory board. She is survived by her husband, Duane; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Jennifer and their children, Haley, Brady and Adam; son and daughter-in-law, Kent and Jeanne and their children, Reagan, Synneva, Tylea, and Solomon; and son and daughter-in-law Bradley and Kristina and their daughter, Natalie; siblings, Vivian Nelson, Lois (Bud) Badger, Anita (Tom) Erickson, Douglas (Ruth) Berntson, Barbara (Raymond) Mewes, Olive (Howard) Rasmussen, Delbert (Joan) Berntson, Gail Christl, Durwin (Mary) Berntson, Dallas Berntson and Darryl (Jeanne) Berntson; sisters-in-law, Eileen Berntson, Lorraine Miedema and Darlene Miedema; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her father and mother-in-law, Olaf and Edith Sortland; brother, David, brother and sister-in-law, Denton and Paulette Berntson; brothers-in-law, David Nelson, Elmer Christl, John Miedema and Ernest Miedema; two nephews, Larry Miedema and Tod Erickson.