Gerd Floen Torgersen

Monroe, Utah - Gerd Floen Torgersen, age 84, died Tuesday, June 21,2005. Gerd suffered from dementia and congestive heart failure and ultimately a stroke. She closed her eyes on Sunday, June 19, and never really opened them again up to the time she died on Tuesday, June 21. She died peacefully at home under the attentive and watchful care of her husband, Neal. Gerd was born May14, 1921 in Haugesund, Norway to Agnes Elise Sandvik. She was adopted by Nils Gjerlov and Oleanna Henrikke Sunde Floen as a baby and she said that they were wonderful parents. She considered them her real parents, though she had contact with her birth mother. She loved and missed her parents very much and spoke of them often at the end of her life. She grew up near the ocean, and longed to be by it once again. Gerd survived the 6 year Nazi/German occupation of Norway during WWII. She had intriguing stories of this experience. She learned to knit as a child and made beautiful Norwegian sweaters. She had a thick, yet delightful Norwegian accent and would intermingle Norwegian words with English words in her sentences. She was very quick-witted. She was also very giving. She made many meals for people she though less fortunate than her—even doing this when she was much older. Gerd met her future husband, Neal Torgersen, while he was serving his LDS mission in Norway. He baptized her and was allowed to marry her before he returned to the United States at the end of his mission in 1953. Gerd and Neal are the parents of 4 boys, Thomas, Ron, Troy (Lynne), and Torin (Janice). Thomas died tragically at the age of 35, and Gerd was very sad about this the remainder of her days. They raised their children in Palmdale, California. She has 11 grandchildren. She has one brother, Odvar Floen, who lives in Karmoy, Norway. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 25, 2005 at 11:00 A.M in the Monroe LDS Stake Center, 140 South Main Street in Monroe, where friends may call for viewing Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 prior to the services. Burial will be in the Monroe City Cemetery. The family wishes to thank all who were so generous and helpful to them during this time.