Bio: Orth, Conrad Jr. (Testimonial Dinner - 1966)

Contact: Dinah Reinke
Email: dinah@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Orth, Stratachuk, Nikolay, Pinion, Weix

------ Source: Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford and Colby, Clark Co., Wis.) 09/08/1966

------ Orth, Conrad Jr. (Testimonial Dinner - 10 SEP 1966)

Fellow veterans, friends and neighbors will pay tribute Saturday evening, Sept. 10, to Conrad Orth Jr., Wisconsin department commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), in a testimonial dinner beginning at 7 p.m. at the Colby high school gymnasium. Mr. Orth was elected last June to the state VFW’s highest office.

The banquet is being sponsored by the Colby VFW, Huber-Schmitt-Bruesewitz Post 2227 and the post auxiliary.

Featured speaker for the evening will be Ernest Stratachuk of Dearborn, Mich. Mr. Stratachuk represents the state VFW organizations of Wisconsin and Michigan on the national VFW council.

Frank Nikolay, Clark county assemblyman, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The dinner will be preceded by the presentation of the colors by the department color guard, post 388 of Wausau, and by the Colby VFW post color guard.

The Rev. John Pinion, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic parish, Colby, will give the invocation and the benediction.

Also on the program will be a welcoming address by Dr. F. A. Weix, mayor of Colby, and remarks by Lawrence Carlyon, Colby VFW post commander.

Mr. Orth, affectionately known to his friends as “Connie” is a charter member of the Colby VFW post and a past commander. He joined the VFW shortly after his return from service in World War II, in which he served as an army staff sergeant with the field artillery.

He left his home in Colby on Sept. 15, 1940, with the 32nd division Wisconsin national guard, and was subsequently assigned to the 15th corps artillery. He was with his unit in the European theater of command for some 19 months combat duty, landing at Utah beach in France six days after “D” Day. During his service he was awarded the bronze star and campaign decorations for action in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Germany and Austria.

Since entering the VFW, Mr. Orth has served as post commander of the Colby post; commander of the seventh district VFW, and several state VFW committees. He served for one year on the national resolution committee; from 1964 to 1965 as state junior vice commander, and from 1965 to 1966 as state senior vice commander.

A native of Colby, Connie graduated from Colby high school. He is presently employed by the city as sewer commissioner. He and his wife, Betty, have three sons, Richard, 19, who is serving with the U.S. air force; John, 16, a student at Colby high school, and Steven, 15 months.