Dr. Vernon Sommerdorf died on October 19. The paid obit in the newspaper mentions his age [88] and tells about much of his life and accomplishments – his navy service, medical career [including his Payne Avenue practice and work at Mounds Park Hospital], his community service including both his extensive work with foster children and his church work.
The paid obit notice did not note Dr. Sommerdorf’s six years [1967-73] of service representing local districts in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Of course, what is included is the family’s choice.
I met the Dr. Sommerdorf [he did some lecturing on public health at a class I took in college and he appeared at and hosted some political events] but I never knew him and this article is not really a RIP about him. It is instead an indictment of the inability of the local rag to recognize this as a news story.
I am being ciritical primarily of the local rag, but the Star[Journal- and] Tribune missed it too. Even if Dr. Sommerdorf’s career as mentioned in the obit [and I have to concede that sometimes the family-paid obits polish the resumes once in a while] it would seem that if the papers hired folks who know local history they would think it noteworthy that somebody who had represented the city at the Capitol had passed on.
And people wonder why newspaper sales are declining.
(A link to the DPP obit)
The paid obit notice did not note Dr. Sommerdorf’s six years [1967-73] of service representing local districts in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Of course, what is included is the family’s choice.
I met the Dr. Sommerdorf [he did some lecturing on public health at a class I took in college and he appeared at and hosted some political events] but I never knew him and this article is not really a RIP about him. It is instead an indictment of the inability of the local rag to recognize this as a news story.
I am being ciritical primarily of the local rag, but the Star[Journal- and] Tribune missed it too. Even if Dr. Sommerdorf’s career as mentioned in the obit [and I have to concede that sometimes the family-paid obits polish the resumes once in a while] it would seem that if the papers hired folks who know local history they would think it noteworthy that somebody who had represented the city at the Capitol had passed on.
And people wonder why newspaper sales are declining.
(A link to the DPP obit)
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