George Arno Mortensen, Jr.

George Arno Mortensen, Jr., was born on 4 October 1939 to George Arno Mortensen and Ollie Rita Shupe in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.  He was the 6^th of nine children and their oldest son. He attended school at the Juarez Academy in Colonia Juarez, graduating in 1958.

The Mortensen and Shupe families were among those from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who left the United States for Mexico to colonize several generations earlier.  They were involved in agriculture and natural resources.  George’s parents owned an orchard in the Piedras Verdes River Valley. As the oldest son he had a lot of responsibility assisting with the family. He helped with the orchard but loved driving trucks. He purchased a truck with which he transported goods throughout Mexico and the United States. When he moved to the states in the late 60’s and no longer owned a truck, he was always a business owner of some type from a nursery, dry goods store, fruit stand and others. He was a natural born entrepreneur and liked to work for himself. When his health forced him to retire, he enjoyed cooking, baking, watching old Westerns, listening to country and Latin music and following politics. He also enjoyed spoiling his two beloved Chihuahuas, Pancho and Pancha.

In December 1960 George married Edna Corbett in Mesa, Arizona and they had five children. They later divorced and George eventually moved to California. He married again and helped his wife, Maria raise and care for her two children, Leticia and Manuel. After some years they divorced and he left California and travelled throughout the western states on business. He married Aurelia Fernandez in 1984 and they had two children. He also has a son from a previous relationship. He loved his children and were proud of them.

George passed away on May 19, 2019, in Montrose, Colorado surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Linnie and Maurine. He is survived by his wife, Aurelia; his children: Tuana (Jay) Jones, Brenda (Russell) Aardema, Mauro (Eloisa) Escalante, Ed (Juanita) Mortensen, Javier (Georgina) Mortensen, Lisa Schwartz, Jorge Mortensen, Angela (Ken) McDaniel; 29 grandchildren; and 15 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings: Margaret, Laura, Dorothy, Carl, Gary and Virginia.