Bio: Dehne, Tyrni (Retirement from Thorp Finance – 1970)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Dehne, Conway, Knowles

---------Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 24 Dec 1970

To mark the end of a 31 year era of faithful and dedicated service, the management and employees of Thorp Finance Corporation held a special dinner recently at the American Legion Hall in Thorp in honor of Tyrni Dehne's retirement.

Several members of the Thorp management team chose to stand up during the ceremony and reminisce. When the turn passed to Chairman Francis J. Conway, he had a special surprise. He had just returned from a trip to Madison and was asked by Wisconsin Governor Warren F. Knowles to personally deliver a letter and certificate of commendation to Tyrni for her many years of faithful service in Thorp.

Joining Thorp in 1939, Tyrni introduced the idea of woman's liberation long before it became universally popular. She remembers with great enthusiasm her 20 years as branch manager of the former Greenwood branch office. Besides making loans, Tyrni clerked auctions, made dealer contacts, kept the office virtually spotless, and performed all the other tasks necessary to maintain a smooth running "one man" operation.

When the Greenwood branch office was closed in 1958 and the accounts transferred to Neillsville, Tyrni had to decide whether she should move from her home in Withee (Clark Co., Wis.) and become the new Neillsville branch manager, or keep her home and take a clerical job at the home office. She chose the latter, and has worked in the payroll department since that time.

When asked what she plans to do after she retires, Tyrni quickly answered, "Travel, do some gardening, do things around the house I didn't have time for before, and possibly study for the security salesmen's state exam so that I can continue to sell Thorp debentures."

Tyrni will officially retire on December 31, 1970.