Richard G. Ohrstrom

Richard Gilbert Ohrstrom, former Plant Manager of the Marblehead Quarry, passed away on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 at the Providence Care Center, Sandusky, OH. He was 94 years old. Mr. Ohrstrom was born on June 4, 1916, in Jamestown, NY. He was the second youngest of the five sons of the late Knute and Augusta Hanson Ohrstrom. After graduating from High School he joined the merchant marine and served on the Great Lakes to help his family through the depression. He studied navigation and gradually moved up in rank to eventually become First Mate. While stopping and unloading iron ore in Lorain OH, he met his late wife Ida nee Ryll and was married in January of 1943. To support his wife and eventual family he left the merchant marine and settled in Lorain OH. After holding multiple jobs he found permanent employment with Holmes Construction Company. While at Holmes he studied and continued his education, became a licensed explosives expert and moved up the ladder to become the Holmes Construction Superintendent. During one particularly cold winter, the town of Vermilion OH called upon his explosives expertise to prevent severe damage from a dangerous ice build up in the Vermilion River. He was tasked to set the precise amount of explosives in the frozen river and prevent home and infrastructure damage from both the explosives themselves and the avalanche of ice. He was successful. In 1963 he relocated to Marblehead OH to become the Plant Manager of the Marblehead Quarry, which was then owned by the Standard Slag Co. In addition to running the day-to-day operations he was responsible for the modernization of the quarry, including construction of the automated conveyor systems. This modernization is still visible today and is being operated by Lafarge North America. He was exceptionally active in his Church and numerous organizations such as the YMCA, the Junior Achievement Club, the National Exchange Club past President, the American Lutheran Aid Association, Lutheran Laymen