Conrad E. Ortberg

Conrad E. Connie Ortberg, age 84, lifelong resident of Clark, died in the Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, VA on April 21, 2010 where he and his wife were visiting their son and family. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 11AM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with the Reverend Warren Rhodes officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Music will be provided by Wanda Bethke as organist and Laurie Wallen singing. Honorary casketbearers will be the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The active casketbearers will be Matt & Lacey Ortberg, Mike & Katie Fletcher, Adam Ortberg & Jill Gaddis. The usher will be DuWayne Wallen. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5-7 PM with the family present at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after 9 AM on Wednesday at the Church. Conrad Edgar Ortberg was born on May 30, 1925 on the farm, northwest of Clark, SD, the son of Edgar and Edith (Carroll) Ortberg. He attended country school in Raymond Township and then graduated from Raymond High School in 1943. After his schooling he farmed with his dad. On November 27, 1949 he was united in marriage to Lois Borns at the St. Martins Lutheran Church at Watertown. The couple built a new home on the original farm site and lived and farmed there for many years. In 1967 he went to work for the Clark School District as a bus mechanic and worked for them until retiring in the later 1980s. They continued living on the farm during those years. After his retirement they spent a few winters in Arizona. They had moved into Clark a couple years ago as his health began failing. When able, they traveled to Virginia to visit their son Ken and family. Connie will long be remembered by many for being a very handy person, whether it was working with wood or engines and many things in between including carpentry. He loved restoring old tractors and sitting down at a table to play a game of pinochle. In the later years he enjoyed reading, especially farm tractor magazines, tractor books and was an avid John Deere fan. Since moving to town, he could also be seen driving his golf cart around, which he thoroughly enjoyed too. Survivors include his wife of nearly 61 years, Lois of Clark, children, Ken (Natalie) Ortberg of Warrenton, VA, Kevin (Sandy) Ortberg of Clark, Tom Ortberg of Mesa, AZ, Jim (Jean) Ortberg of Clearfield, UT and Merry Ortberg of Fayetteville, AR. Also surviving are 8 grandchildren, Adam, Katie, Mischelle, Sara, Jill, Matt, Zach and Sarah and 4 great-grandchildren, Teagan, Talyn, Tatum and Jayden. He also leaves a sister, Norma (Lowell) Weelborg of Jacksonville, FL. Preceding him in death were his parents, a son, Michael Ortberg in 1962 and sisters, Gladys (Howard) LaBay and Helen (LeRoy) Goodroad. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com