Otto A. Sorvala, 93, of
Hurley, Wis., died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, in Ironwood. He was born Dec. 27, 1915, in Rudyard, son of
the late Matt and Ida (Kukkola) Sorvala, attended Roosevelt School in Montreal,
Wis., and graduated from Hurley High School in 1934. He then was employed as a
delivery truck driver in the Rudyard-Soo area. Otto was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943,
serving 18 months in the 293rd Combat Engineer Battalion in Normandy, the Battle
of the Bulge, England, Rhineland, Central Europe and Germany, receiving five
Campaign Stars under General Patton. Following his honorable discharge as a Tec 5
in 1945, he returned to Hurley where he went into business with his brother Bill
at Sorvala's Shell Service on Highway 77 for many years. He also operated City
Cab Co., Airport Service, Airmail Transport Contract from the Hurley and
Ironwood Post Office, and Avis Car Rental, retiring as custodian at the Hurley
Post Office. Otto was a member of the First Presbyterian
Church in Hurley, Iron County Historical Society, Retired Senior Volunteer
Program, and a past member of Hurley American Legion Post 58 and Iron County
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1580. He loved his dog, his Pomeranian,
"Meiko". Otto was a good man with a great sense of
humor and the best dad and grandpa. He will be dearly missed. On June 22, 1940, he was united in marriage to
the former Mabel E. "May" Zandi at the First Presbyterian Church in Hurley, by
the late Rev. Chester L. Harries. Otto ended every day of his 61 years of
marriage by giving Mabel a good-night kiss. She preceded him in death on March
14, 2002. Surviving are a daughter, Shirley (David)
Hockenbrock, Hurley; a grandson, Scott (Amy) Hockenbrock, Foxboro, Wis.; four
great-grandchildren, Brett and Brittany Hockenbrock, Hurley, and Hunter and
Hannah Hockenbrock, Foxboro, Wis.; three nephews, Jack (Jeannette) Komsi,
Montreal and Florida, Bill (Carol) Komsi, DePere, Wis., and Fred Sorvala,
Dallas, Texas; and a niece, Carol Westeen, Ironwood Township. Besides his parents and wife, Otto was
preceded in death by a granddaughter, Sherrie Hockenbrock, in 1997; two
brothers, Bill and Emil; and a sister, Aili Komsi. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 8,
at 11 a.m., at the First Presbyterian Church in Hurley, with the Rev. Don
Nickolson officiating. Committal will take place at the church, where
full military honors will be accorded by the combined Hurley American Legion
Post 58 and Iron Co. VFW Post 1580 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow in the church fellowship
hall. Spring burial will be in Riverside Cemetery,
Ironwood. Relatives and friends may call at the church
one hour prior to the service on Tuesday. Memorial contributions may be made to the
First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 309, Hurley, Wis. 54534. To view Otto's obituary online, sign the
guestbook and express condolences, visit
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick
Funeral Home Inc.,