Orville R. Bornbach, age 89, passed away on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at his residence in Marshfield.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Stratford, where the visitation will be from 9:00 am until service time. Rev. Sengole Vethanayagam will officiate. The service will be streamed online at www.facebook.com/rembsfuneralhomes. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Town of Eau Pleine, Marathon County, where military rites will be conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6352.
Orville was born November 15, 1934, at St. Joseph Hospital, Marshfield, to John and Eleanora (Linzmeier) Bornbach and had eight siblings. He attended St. Andrew’s grade school and attended Stratford Public School until age 16. At 16, Orville moved to Iowa to work on the farm of Louie and Mary Cink. At 18, he joined the US Army, serving in the Korean War. After being discharged, he moved to Milwaukee to work at Fresno Wine, Evinrude Motors, and the US Postal Service. During this time, he met and married Helen B. Grossbier on October 19, 1957, at St. Mary’s Church in Auburndale and later had three sons, Keith, Kurt, and Kevin. In 1962, they moved to Stratford to begin farming and then had two daughters, Karen and Karleen. They also were foster parents to three children, Tammy, Jerry, and Rose.
During the farming years, Orville plowed, sprayed, swathed, and combined crops for area farmers. He served on the Stratford Farmers Co-op Board (now Provisions), measured crops for ASCS, was an assessor and supervisor on the Town of Eau Pleine town board. In 1991, Orville sold the farm to Jim Greenberg.
Orville was most proud of his association with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where he was a lector and Eucharistic minister for over 50 years, was President of St. Joseph School Home and School, and served on the Parish Council.
Since 2003, he has coordinated the VFW Post 6352 firing squad for military funerals and other veterans programs and events. He managed the monthly steak feeds for many years and was a bartender for the VFW.
He is survived by his loving wife, Helen, his three sons, Keith, Kurt, and Kevin; two daughters, Karen (Ives) and Karleen (Dietrich); five brothers, Alvin, David, Eugene, Jerry, and Jim; one sister, Delores; eight grandchildren, Patrick, Erin, Kyle, Samantha, Stephanie, Jessica, Caramon and Allison; and eight great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter-in-law, Mary Bornbach, sisters, Alice Schallock and Joan Stockheimer.
In lieu of flowers or plants, the family has requested that donations be made to St. Joseph’s Catholic School (Stratford), the Stratford VFW Post 6352, or a food pantry of your choice.
Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com
Author: News Desk
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