McKenna, Joseph "Ort" (1916-2009)

MCKENNA, SPAHN, FEKEL, SOKOLOWSKI, BELSON

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 12/10/2009 at 14:36:24

Joseph "Ort" McKenna Mar. 14, 1916 - Oct. 16, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Joseph "Ort" McKenna, age 93, of Storm Lake, died Oct. 16, 2009 at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake.

Funeral services were Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial was in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery with Full Military Rites performed by Storm Lake AmVets Post #8. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake was in charge of the arrangements.

Orton McKenna was born on March 14, 1916. He had lived most of his life in Storm Lake, except for a period of time in the military service during World War II.

Ort married Leatrice Spahn on May 10, 1957 and they were in partnership in the Luggage and Gift Shop and Crafts of the Nations; a wholesale gift business for 36 years.

Ort graduated from St. Mary's High School. He received a Bachelor's of Science Degree from Buena Vista University, in Storm Lake, and a Master's of Science Degree from Iowa State University in Ames. He worked on his PhD Degree and received a permanent Superintendent's certificate. After graduating from Buena Vista, he taught and served as Principal of Brooke High School for three years. He was also the high school principal and teacher at Fairview, another Iowa High School, for two years.

He entered the service in May, 1942 and served until November 1945. Most of the time he was in Europe with the Air Force, but he also was in the Sixteenth Infantry Corps and Combat Engineers. He was wounded while fighting with the infantry in Germany and received the Purple Heart.

Throughout his life he was very passionate about the game of golf. As an accomplished golfer, he had numerous holes in one, including a hole in one on his 90th birthday, in Florence Gardens, Ariz., his winter home. He also loved sailing and lived on the lake for many years and had a 30 foot wood hull sail boat. His crew was Lee and his nieces and nephews.

He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, The AmVets and The Elks.

Survivors include his wife, Leatrice; two adopted grand children, Jocelyn and David Fekel (children of Richard and Yolene Fekel, formerly of Storm Lake, but who now live in Rochester, Mich.); a sister Mary Lorna and her husband George Sokolowski who live near Holstein; a brother Bernerd (Cody) McKenna and his wife Kathleen of San Jose, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Don McKenna (Zita) from West Des Moines; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Robert McKenna (Bonnie) of Seattle, Wash.; a brother-in-law, Mervyn Spahn and his wife Charlotte from San Diego, Calif.; fifteen nephews; ten nieces; extended family and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Bernadine Belson and husband Marian Belson; his brothers: Donald McKenna; Robert McKenna; Raphael McKenna and his wife, Elaine; and a nephew, Robert Belson.

© Copyright 2009, Storm Lake Pilot Tribune

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