Local veteran celebrates 90th year
<p>Orville Bjorge (left) happily shakes the hand of Hal Roys, who gifted Bjorge a paid membership dues for 2013 on behalf of the American Legion Post #112 of Polson. Bjorge has been a member for 56 years.</p>
HOT SPRINGS – Ninety years of life – and what can a man show for so much time lived? For Orville Bjorge, it is a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a piece of his Norwegian father’s original homestead land, the ability to endure the aging process by maintaining independence, and the blessing of being loved by many friends and family.
Orville Bjorge, 90, celebrated his birthday among friends, family and community members Sunday at the Hot Springs Senior Citizens Center. The World War II veteran and Montana rancher greeted and received 30-plus guests at the senior center, and though many guests were not akin to him, but simply there to express well-wishes, the place was filled with the joy of all present. Not only were they celebrating Bjorge’s birthday, but they also wanted to commend him for his service as a veteran, and as a community member of both Hot Springs and Polson. The party was organized by Bjorge’s nephew, Marvin, who had let many know of the party via old-fashioned word of mouth, as well as modern technology such as Facebook.
“Really we just wanted to do this for him because we’re his only family and it’s something special,” Marvin Bjorge said. “Not everyone makes it to 90, and he still lives on his own on the ranch. [Orville] was open to this [party] and he was kind of surprised that we were doing it. Usually we take him out to the Second Home [restaurant] for his birthday, but because this was his 90th, we wanted to do something a little more casual. We invited everyone in the community and from church - whoever wanted to come.”
Three cakes and many gallons of ice cream, vegetables, cheeses and other side dishes were made available for party guests, and many stayed to eat, visit and come together to celebrate Orville, who expressed humility and gratitude.
Bjorge was also gifted a paid membership to the American Legion Post #112 in Polson for 2013. Hal Roys, the service chair of the post, presented the card and letter to Bjorge, and emphasized the importance of honoring veterans such as Bjorge.
“My family and I have known Orville for a long time, and we’re fellow Norwegians,” Roys said. “I’m the service chair for the Legion, and we wanted to do this for Orville, but I also saw this as an opportunity to eat cake and have a good time.”
Roys also stated he’s known Bjorge for 25 years, and that he’s always recognized him as a great man. He also revealed the fact that Bjorge has been a member of the American Legion for 56 years, and that kind of commitment shows his love for his country and the camaraderie among soldiers. It is often said time reveals all good things, and for Bjorge, the good things that have culminated in his time here on earth were made apparent from the respect shown by family and peers.
“I appreciate what my family, and close, close friends did for me,” Orville Bjorge said. “There was a lot of good food, and I had a good time.”