Lawrence & Eileen Ordway Topf

ORDWAY TOPF LENZ

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/10/2010 at 23:41:12

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Lawrence and Eileen (Ordway) Topf
By Eileen Ordway Topf

Lawrence Jerome Topf, son of Nicholas William and Lucy M (Lenz) Topf, was born November 27, 1920, at rural Sergeant Bluff, Liberty Township, Woodbury County, Iowa. At age four he moved with his parents to rural Salix, Lakeport township. He is a member of St Joseph Church at Salix. He attended St Joseph Church at Salix. He attended St Joseph Catholic School, elementary and secondary, graduating in 1938. In school he was active in baseball and basketball. He was in declamatory, on the debate team, and was in five class plays. After high school graduation he remained at home and helped his father farm for a year. The next year he attended National Business Training College in Sioux City. HE worked for a short time in Sioux City, then came home to help his father farm, as his father had broken his leg and wouldn’t be able to work for a year. On February 15, 1944 he was united in married to Ruth Eileen Ordway, daughter of William Wayne Ordway and Florence L Holden Ordway of Castana, Monona County, Iowa.

Ruth Eileen Ordway, daughter of William Wayne Ordway and Florence I Holden Ordway, was born February 28, 1923, at Castana, Iowa. She attended Castana Consolidated school, graduating as valedictorian of her class in 1940. She was active in sports and music as well as appearing in school and class plays. After high school graduating she attended National Business Training College in Sioux City, and in January 1941 she began working for Roberts Dairy Company of Sioux City. She worked there until her marriage in 1944.

To this union were born six children. Kathleen Marie, on February 15, 1945; Bernard Eugene, on June 29, 1946; Lawrence William ‘Larry’, on August 24, 1949; Vincent Paul, on April 1, 1952; Norma Jean on August 17, 1955, and Evelyn Eileen on April 14, 1960.

On March 1, 1944, Lawrence and his wife moved to a farm near Salix, where they still live at this writing, 1983. He raised purebred hogs, and was one of the charter members of the National Pork Producers, also helping organize the Woodbury County Pork Producers, serving as President in 1969. He served as director and chairman of the Woodbury County Extension Council, and was a director on the Woodbury County Farm Bureau, having been a member of that organization since 1944. He serves as director for the Woodbury County Library. In 1969 he was elected to the board of the Woodbury County Rural Electric Cooperative and is at this time President of that board. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus.

In December 1963 the Lawrence Topf family was honored by WOW-TV of Omaha, Nebraska, as Farm Family of the Week, and appeared on their farm program. All of the Topf children were active in 4H and many school activities. Lawrence and Eileen were members of the Heelan High School Parents Club. Eileen served as secretary for a year.
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Eileen was an active member, and past president of the Tabernacle Society of St Joseph Church. She also served as Rural Development Chairman, and represented St Joseph’s on the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Kathleen married Glendon B ‘Joe’ Baker and they live in Sioux City.
Bernard married Linda Allard, has one son and one daughter, and lives in Fargo, North Dakota.
Larry married Marilyn Wiedenfeld. They have two sons and daughters and farm with his parents at Salix.
Vincent married Sandy O’Connell, has two sons and lives in Sioux City.
Norma married Steve Cloud. They have three daughters and one son, and live at Danbury.
Evelyn married Mark Burns, and they live in Sioux City.