Obituary of Orvetta C. Conrad

Orvetta C. Conrad, 86, of Iowa City, died Monday, April 1, 2013, after a long struggle with complications following a hospital accident. A memorial mass will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 13, 2013, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Iowa City. Orvetta Lampe Conrad was born August 29, 1926 in Bellevue, Iowa, to Benjamin and Margaret Malone Lampe. She had ten brothers and sisters: she was preceded in death by Madonna, Ardell, Evelyn, Phyllis, Frederick and John (who died at birth); and is survived by Annabelle Alford of Chicago; Lewis of Port Orange, FL; Ronald (Scherie) of Monona, WI; and Barbara Loeb of Lakeway, TX. Orvetta earned a degree in education from Mount St. Clare College (now Ashford U.) in Clinton, IA, and began teaching in Fort Madison. While teaching grade school in Eldon, IA, she met Martin Conrad, a Rock Island Railroad brakeman and WW II veteran. They married June 19, 1950, and moved to Excelsior Springs, MO. There they had three children, all of whom survive them: Monte Conrad and Katherine Conrad of Iowa City; and Margaret, or Peggy, Perdue of Fond du Lac, WI. Peggy and her husband Tom have two children, Dr. Jennifer Perdue of Charleston, SC, and Thomas Perdue II of Chicago. Orvetta is also survived by many neices and nephews who were very close to her. During the 1950's, Orvetta owned a dress store. Later she returned to teaching, retiring in 1960 to raise a family. She did substitute teaching, began a TOPS Club, and served on the Eldon Library Board. In Iowa City, she fulfilled a childhood dream to work as a nanny, 1981-2001. Martin passed away in 1994. Orvetta was a member for many years of St. Wenceslaus Parish and the Ecumenical Women's Bible Study.