Conrad Storbakken - WWI
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Conrad Storbakken was born 8/29/1894 in Marshall County in the country near Oslo, MN. His parents were Amund and Thora Storbakken. He was the fifth child of sixteen. There were thirteen boys and three girls.
Conrad was certified for Army service October 1917. He was a member of the 36th Coast Artillery Brigade during World War 1 and was injured during the war. After his military service. Conrad lived in East Grand Forks, on a farm near Vega church in Marshall County, and Grafton, ND. In 1936 , his left leg was amputated due to an infection. While Conrad was in the Edward Hines Jr. Hospital, bonus payments were hand delivered by registered mail to veterans of WW1. The bonuses were paid to the veterans for lost wages while they were in the service. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Conrad received $1,312.00. It has been reported that veterans were paid $50 for each month of service during the Great War. The Chicago Tribune reporter spoke to veterans at the hospital, and Conrad was one of them. The following is from the Chicago Tribune article- “New hope was born for Conrad Storbakken , 42, of Oslo, MN. who lost his leg as a member of the Thirty-sixth Coast Artillery. He’s never married because of his injury, but now- ‘I got $1,312 today, and who can tell? Maybe some good looking girl will look me up, peg leg and all.’" Conrad did find that girl, and her name was Pearl. They got married and raised two sons. In 1971 , Conrad’s second leg was amputated and he died 3 days later from an aneurysm, 1/23/1971. |
Conrad Storbakken and his father, Amund.