Obit: Kostner, Emil E. (1905 - 1970)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Kostner, Bandor

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 12/24/1970

Kostner, Emil E. (19 September 1905 - 16 December 1970)

Funeral services were held from St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Thorp Monday morning for Emil E. Kostner, 65, who died last Friday from a heart attack suffered in a Marshfield hospital.

Kostner, who retired in November as vice chairman of ITT Thorp Corporation (formerly Thorp Finance Corporation) was a native of Neillsville. He was born in the city September 19, 1905.

He was widely known in the banking and finance circles, and had been cited in 1959 as Marquette University’s “Man of the year.” He was a member of Gov. Warren P. Knowles’ task force on local government finance and organization, which developed a tax reform proposal for the state government after 20 months of study.

Kostner had been active in Thorp finance Corporation’s growth during 31 years. Starting as a stock and bond- trader with a Chicago-based investment firm, he joined Thorp Finance as a collection correspondent when the firm established by Francis J. Conway was but 14 years old. He advanced successively to positions of office manager, assistant secretary and assistant treasurer. In 1947 he was named secretary-treasurer, and was named executive vice president in 1954. Ten years later he was named president of Thorp, and was named vice chairman in 1968.

He also held directorships in a number of Thorp-connected business subsidiaries. He was a vice-president and director of the Life Assurance Company of America, president and a director of Lyndon Life Insurance Company, a director of the people’s Exchange Bank at Thorp; and held many other positions of responsibility in both civic and professional life.

Mr. Kostner was a 1927 graduate of Marquette University, having graduated from Medford High School in 1923. He also spent a short period in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Surviving are his wife and a daughter, Mrs. Larry (Mary) Bandor of Milwaukee.