Colleen Conrad celebrates nine decades with Saturday party

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Colleen Conrad of Perry celebrated the 90th anniversary of her birth Saturday afternoon with a party at the Hotel Pattee, complete with cake, coffee and many friends and family members.

Sporting a red rose corsage and a sash reading “Birthday Girl,” Colleen moved around the Spring Valley Ballrroom, leaning on her cane and greeting visitors in turn.

Colleen was born Colleen Jurgensen March 23, 1929, in Perry, and she has lived here many years, with brief periods spent in Boone and Clinton and in Klamath Falls, Ore., in her youth.

She graduated from Clinton High School in 1947 and a few years later, back in Perry, Colleen married Robert Conrad in 1950. The couple raised three sons in Perry, where Colleen has now resided the last 69 years.

Colleen cared for Robert through his illness and until his passing in 2008. Her days now often begin with coffee at the Casey’s General Store on First Avenue, where a regular circle gathers for fellowship.

“Mom stays busy going to town on weekdays,” said Jim Conrad, Colleen’s middle son. “She spends her time roaming through the aisles at Fareway or visiting with Sandy at Wil-Do Cleaners or with Julie at the beauty shop.”

Colleen said she has seen a lot of changes in Perry over 90 years, but she has not let the world pass her by when it comes to digital technology and social media.

“I spend a lot of time on Facebook now,” she said. “I can keep up with my friends and family there better than ever. You’re never too old to learn.”

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