Jacqueline Sorenson Covey passed away peacefully on November 2, 2023, at Brentwood Memory Care in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Jackie was born November 10, 1934, in Menomonie, Wisconsin to Louis and Genevieve Sorenson.

She graduated from Menomonie High School in 1952 and attended Stout State College. On April 14, 1955, Jackie married James William Covey and began her life as a supportive partner in his Naval career, educational achievements and ultimately his career in leadership of the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical Institute, beginning in 1961 when the family moved to Rice Lake. Jim designed and built Jackie her dream home on Lake Montanis. Their children were grateful for their family’s lovely home on the lake which afforded them a childhood of swimming in the lake, running in the fields, exploring the woods and the creeks in the surrounding area. During this time Jackie pursued her passions of organic gardening, tending to her hobby farm, antiquing and volunteering, especially as a Sunday School teacher at Trinity Lutheran Church. After Jim’s untimely death on August 11, 1978, Jackie returned to the workforce. She became the first woman employed at the United States Postal Service in Rice Lake and the first woman rural route mail carrier in the state of Wisconsin. In the 1970’s and 80’s women were not accepted in this male dominated workplace. On several mornings, after sorting her customers’ mail, she returned to her car to find her tires had been flattened. Jackie’s commitment to support her children provided the resilience to persevere through the sexism, hostility and vandalization of personal property. Her tenacity resulted in over a 30-year career at the USPS and paved the way for the future of the 42% females employed by the USPS today. Jackie’s experience taught her children important lessons of resilience and fortitude when facing difficult times, they would encounter on their journey through life.

Jackie is preceded in death by her husband James, son Craig Covey, parents Louis Sorenson, Genevieve and Richard Lambert. She is survived by her children, Brian (Sue) Covey of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lisa (Wade) Laufenberg of Lakewood Ranch, Florida and Dex (Faye) Covey of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, her granddaughters, Genna Clark, Dana Covey, Christine Covey and Laura Laufenberg and her sister Nancy (John) Lambert of Bowdoin, Maine.

Jackie will be laid to rest in the family burial plot in Peace Lutheran Church Cemetery in Menomonie, Wisconsin next to her husband Jim after a private, family funeral service at Trinity Lutheran Church. Jackie faced many hardships, but still found it in her heart to freely provide charitable donations to her church, the scholarship memorializing Jim’s achievements for developing adult technical education in Rice Lake and the State of Wisconsin and numerous wildlife associations. In her spirit, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church in Rice Lake or the James W. Covey Scholarship at the Northwoods Technical Foundation, or simply planting a tree would be a wonderful way to memorialize Jackie’s love of nature.

Last Update: Nov 06, 2023 11:48 am CST