My Funny Picture

Orton Glen Henning died on Thursday April 23 2009 He was born

Summary: Orton Glen Henning died on Thursday April 23 2009 He was born at home in Wausau on May 16 1919 to the late Walter and Alma Henning He was not expected to live so family and friends held a prayer meeting and he was hurriedly baptized by a Lutheran minister Having thus been ordained it soon became clear after that he would be satisfied with nothing less than malted milk in place of baby formula As a young man after graduating from high school in 1938 Ort worked in a logging camp near Tomahawk for only one dollar per day plus room and board He recalled having more money than any other period of his life because of the lack of any opportunity to spend what he earned Upon returning to the city he worked strictly on commission hand delivering coal and heavy blocks of ice in the competitive street business of Milwaukee Like many Orton was drafted during WWII but was initially turned down due to his poor eyesight He begged to be allowed in anyway and served in the 786 Tank Battalion Corps which fought its way through France and into Germany A brief hospital stay caused by drinking too much coffee during long transport operations may have saved his life during one period of particularly heavy fighting After the war he and Verna Schultz were married on May 12 1946 They built one of the first homes in the Arlington Addition He drew his own plans for the house and worked on it days and weekends while at the same time working the night shift Orton had a strong sense of community and was ever the helpful and sharing neighbor He helped organize the yearly Arlington Picnic complete with the best selection of Werbelow s soda pop on ice that kids had ever seen He dedicated most of his working life to the Weber Veneer and Plywood Company in Shawano After being chosen by Clarence Weber to receive specialized training at Michigan Tech he became the veneer log purchasing agent for the company In this role he travelled throughout winter in northern Wisconsin Michigan and sometimes Canada to select grade and purchase veneer logs and establish a strong network of friends in the business He was very active in the Timber Producers Association of Wisconsin and Michigan and was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State Forestry Advisory Council for the Department of Natural Resources where he advocated tirelessly for wise conservation After his many years of travelling he often said that he never found a town that he liked better than Shawano although he did manage to locate restaurants elsewhere serving high quality pies After an early retirement he and Verna enjoyed traveling together with their travel trailer Canoeing on the Wolf River with family members and friends was one of his passions Throughout his life he was an active and cherished member of the Shawano United Methodist Church He helped found and lead the Shawano Boy Scout Troop 32 that met regularly at the Church and organized camping and canoeing adventures for fathers and sons that will always be remembered Ort was an avid woodworker and founded Geppetto s Wood Carvers which very recently sponsored a local carving show He also taught introductory classes on wood carving and many of his students adopted carving as a lifetime hobby Ever delighting in creative pranks and corny humor he once carved a wooden owl with one moveable eyelid that would wink when he used a remote control during carving shows Additional activities included Sunday School Superintendent Director and Past President of the Timber Producers Association of Wisconsin and Michigan by which he was presented the Wisconsin Award of Merit in 1973 14 year member of the Forestry Advisory Council for the Wisconsin DNR member of the Forest History Association of Wisconsin member of the National Wood Carver s Association member of the organizational committee and Past President of the Mid Wisconsin Chippers Chairman of Parking Commission He received the Outstanding Performance Award from the Wisconsin Society of American Foresters in 1989 Not that many years ago Ort was approached by town leaders to provide the perspective of a common man on a controversial town building proposal Not surprising to those who knew him he raised a number of important questions based on his unique combination of sharp wit and deep devotion to the town he took pride in and loved like his own family

Image Dimensions: 86 x 125