For my Dad who passed away...

My Dad, Gerald Eugene Ort, was always my pillar when I knew I'd fall. He was always my anchor to guild me in the right direction.

He was always my Dad and my friend through the good times and the bad ones.

Although my Dad is in Heaven, He will be always a piece of my heart.

• Via his obituary (The Obituary Legacy)

Gerald Eugene Ort Sr. lived life to the fullest. On Sunday evening, October 25, 2020, a truly Great Man Gerald Eugene Ort Sr. 85 of Clintonville, Wisconsin was called to his heavenly home. He will be fondly missed by all. Gerald was not one to let any grass grow under his feet, which is why he passed on Sunday.

Gerald is survived by his wife Carol; four sons: Gary, Thomas, Scott, and Gerald Jr. (a son Mike who is warmly welcoming him through the Pearly Gates), two daughters, Lorie (Tom) Colla and Tammy (Corey) Higgins. Gary (Elmira) has four daughters: Kathy, Kari, Bobbi, and Billi; Gary has ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Thomas (Deanne) has four children: Erica, Tommy, Matt, and Drew. Scott (Paula) has four sons, Michael, Tanner, Morgan, and Ashton, and one grandson Gaven. Gerald Jr. (Christina) has two children, Natalia Tulip and Harding Gerald. Mike has one daughter, Shannon, and one granddaughter, Isabella. Lorie (Tom) has three children: Tyler, Jarrett, and Josie. Tammy (Corey) has four children: Riley, Caeden, Alyssa, and Halley. There were seven children in Gerald’s immediate family growing up, but only one survivor, a sister Karen Horsley, of Arizona whom Gerald not only thought of as a little sister but a “True Blessing.”

Mr. Gerald Eugene Ort Sr., son of Irene and Edward Ort Sr., was born on October 15, 1935, in Ellington, Wisconsin. On October 28, 1935, he was baptized and in June 1950 confirmed.

Gerald was raised on a dairy farm in Ellington, Wisconsin. He started helping on the farm at a young age. When he was five years old he milked five cows by hand. And every year he got older, one more was added to his chores. Eventually, he was lent out to relatives to work on their farms. In the early 50’s he started driving trucks, selling Christmas trees in Milwaukee and Chicago, and hauling hay, logs, and lumber. He added a portable sawmill in 1954. He had a couple of employees and they cut and sold to mills in Shawano. By 1968, he bought a farm and built his first mill on the Drier Road Property in New London. That mill was rebuilt in 1972 and a larger mill was built in 1976. He was united in marriage to Shirley Waffle in 1956. They were blessed with four sons. After Shirley died he married Carol Morack in 1976. He was then blessed with three more children and added a few more businesses to his legacy. Throughout the years all of his children have helped to make his businesses a success.

April 1991, life would take him in a different direction when he purchased Silver Spur Campgrounds and turned it into the beautiful Captain’s Cove Resort as we know it today.

As lumber is in his blood; he went on to start Wittenberg Hardwoods, Polar Hardwoods, Aacer Flooring, and a few others along the way. In June 1998, he purchased his longtime dream - Tigerton Lumber CO. The Good Lord has blessed him and helped him to provide employment for many people throughout the years.

A Celebration of sharing his Legacy and honoring his life was held at St. Martin Lutheran Church, Clintonville, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 31, 2020, at 3:00 PM with Rev. Chris Berg officiating. 

Visitation was at the church on Saturday from 12:00 pm until 3:00 pm. Cline & Hanson Funeral Home, New London was assisting the family.

A memorial fund has been established in Gerald Ort's honor, which was dedicated to St. Martin Lutheran Church School, 100 South Clinton Ave, Clintonville WI 54929.

• Hardwood floors, the magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association, posted in recent news:

"We are saddened to learn of the recent passing of Gerald Ort Sr. Ort. He spent a long and productive career in the hardwood industry. He was the founder of Aacer Flooring."

• Source: Cline Hanson: The funeral service of Gerald E Ort took place on October 31, 2020, with Rev. Chris Berg officiating at St. Martin Lutheran Church in Clintonville, WI.

• A poem for Daddy in Heaven (by Michele Meleen)

"I know you can hear me way up in heaven because we talk through our hearts.

Dear Daddy in heaven I miss you every day and I know you miss me too.

No matter how old I get or how long you're gone,

I hear you, Daddy, up in heaven through the love in my heart."