Mrs. Gwendolyn Ruth (Bullock) Lorenzen, 76, of Hope Mills, N.C., passed away on Monday, June 16, 2014 in Cape Fear Valley Medical Center after a 30-year battle with diabetes. Gwen was born Oct. 3, 1937 in Waterford, Vt., one of eight children born to Frank and Lola (Kirkpatrick) Bullock. She attended a one-room schoolhouse and the teacher was her aunt, Ruth Parker. She graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1955. She worked for a short time for Reed's Supply Co. and Ralston-Purina Co. before attending Providence Bible Institute in Providence, R.I. While there, she sang in a women's trio which traveled throughout New England, even singing in the renowned "Park St. Church" in Boston, Mass. At PBI she met Jon Bryant and they were married in St. Johnsbury, Vt. in 1958. They made their home in Belfast, Maine. In the mid 60s they moved to Sacramento, Calif. and started their family. They divorced and Gwen and the children moved to Oakland, Calif. Gwen began working for the IRS, commuting to San Francisco. In 1975 she married Ned Holmgren and they settled in Concord, Calif. Gwen was able to transfer to the U.S. Forest Service at Pleasant Hill in 1979, happy to be done with the long commute. She retired after 20 years. Ned passed away in 1992. Gwen married Henry Lorenzen, a native Concord, Calif. resident in 1998. Henry succumbed to cancer in 2003. The following year Gwen moved to Fayetteville, N.C. to be near her son and family. She quickly acclimated to her new life, became involved in Snyder Memorial Baptist Church and made many good friends. She especially enjoyed her little grandson and watching him grow. Over the years, Gwen faithfully returned to New England to visit her large extended family. She was a generous, caring, thoughtful person with an infectious laugh and an engaging personality. She was a great listener, and was able to pull even the most reticent individual into the conversation. She had a strong faith in God and trusted fully in Him and the work of His Son Jesus Christ to secure her eternal home. She will be greatly missed. She was predeceased by her parents, a sister, Lina Powers, a brother, Henry Bullock and a brother-in-law, Roger Courser. She is survived by her son Jon (Stacy) Holmgren and grandson, Koby, of Raeford, N.C; her daughter, Elisabeth (Ken) Conkie of Gardnerville, Nev.; two sisters, Helen (Kenneth) Barrett of Sutton; Irene Courser of Simsbury, Conn.; three brothers, Fred (Ruth) Bullock and George (Linda) Bullock of Lower Waterford; David (Gloria) Bullock of Marshville, N.C; several stepchildren and many nieces and nephews.