Mabel Lorene (Ball) Sonnevik

MABEL LORENE BALL SONNEVIK, was born August 10, 1927 to William Sylvester Ball and Winona Barnum Ball in Wichita, KS. She died and met her Savior and Lord on July 14, 2022. She was one of eight children.

She accepted Christ into her life at the age of four, and has been a follower of Christ ever since.

Mabel attended public school in Wichita, KS, and in 1945, she enrolled in Bethany-Peniel College, now Southern Nazarene University, majoring in voice.

She graduated from SNU in 1949.

One of her required courses was German, and in 1947 she enrolled in the German class taught by the new teacher-student on campus, Milton Sonnevik. She not only earned an "A'' in the course, but also won the heart of the teacher, and they were married November 25, 1948.

Two children blessed this marriage, Margretta Lynn Sonnevik Bromley of Keene, NH, and Kenneth Alan Sonnevik of Olathe, KS.

Mabel taught school in Putnam City Schools, Bethany, OK, and Pasadena, CA. She was also a choir director and soprano soloist in several churches.

In 1986, Mabel retired from public school teaching in Pasadena, CA, and with Milton they moved back to Oklahoma City in 1987, where she remained active in her community.

Mabel was a life-long member of the Nazarene Church, having spent her latter years in Bethany First Church of the Nazarene and College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, KS. She was a Women of the Word leader for many years, and she served for four years as president of the National Honor Society, Phi Delta Lambda of SNU, and she was also a member of the Academy of Senior Professionals at SNU.

Mabel is preceded in death by her parents, brother Orville, Elmer and Arthur, her sisters Kathryn, Laura, Lenore, and Ollie. She is survived by her daughter, Margretta Bromley and husband, Mark, and her son, Kenneth Sonnevik and his wife, Carol, five grandchildren; Dr. Rachel Croteau, Jonathan Bromley and wife, Lorie, Dr. Matthew Bromley and wife, Nicole, Majors Mark and Michelle Thielenhaus of the Salvation Army and Tim and Evelyn Thielenhaus and eleven great-grandchildren. She also leaves a host of friends and loved ones.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be given to the Milton and Mabel Sonnevik Scholarship Fund at Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, OK.

To give by check: Mail your check to: Southern Nazarene University, Attn: University Relations, 6729 N.W. 39th Expressway, Bethany, Oklahoma 73008. (In the memo on the check, put in memory of Mabel Sonnevik).

If giving online, go to: https://www.snu.edu/give/
Please select the amount you wish to give, Under Designation, choose Other and write in Sonnevik Endowment, Under Tribute Gift, choose in Memory of and put Mabel Sonnevik. Complete the remainder of the form and you should receive an email confirmation of your gift.

Visitation will be held on August 6, 2022 at 10am at College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 S. Sheridan, followed by a memorial service at 11am. To view the service, please copy and paste the following link into your browser https://youtu.be/OOJETsr2R24

Her final gift was to bequeath her remains to the University of Kansas Medical Center.


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