T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY
Loren Conrad, a resident of the Willows in Marshalltown and longtime farmer just outside of Albion, celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday with a tenderloin from Culver’s joined by his son Loren Jr., daughter-in-law Carol and his friends from Iowa River Hospice. A 100th birthday party is scheduled for Saturday at The Willows from noon to 3 p.m.
After graduating from Albion High School in 1944, Conrad got drafted and spent two years in the Navy at the tail end of World War II. Upon his return, he worked at McGregor’s Furniture as a salesman and married his wife Virginia in 1948 after renting a farm near Liscomb. The couple would later purchase Virginia’s parents’ farm near Albion in 1963, and they never looked back.
According to his son Loren Jr., Loren Sr. stayed involved in the farm in one way or another until he was about 90 years old, and he moved into The Willows this February.
“First of all, I’m just so amazed that he lived this long and so grateful. He had four siblings and his parents, none of them even came close to living to be 100. So it’s quite amazing,” Loren Jr. said.
Carol added that he has made a huge impact on many people’s lives in the area, and he was a longtime stalwart in Albion’s First Presbyterian Church, which closed earlier this year, teaching Sunday school and serving in various leadership roles.
