Gerald D. Lorge was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

 and Wisconsin State Senate

Wisconsin State Senate

The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...

.

Biography

Lorge was born on July 9, 1922 in Bear Creek, Outagamie County, Wisconsin

Bear Creek, Outagamie County, Wisconsin

Bear Creek is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 448 at the 2010 census.-History:From 1898 to 1915, Bear Creek was called Welcome...

. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he served in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. Lorge passed away on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...

 of 2001. His son, William

William Lorge

William Lorge was a Wisconsin politician. He is currently broker owner of Badgerland MLS, Wisconsin's first State-wide Flat Fee Limited Service Discount Real Estate Company....

, would become a member of the Assembly. Another son, Robert

Robert Gerald Lorge

Robert Gerald Lorge is an American lawyer and politician. He is Managing Partner of Lorge & Lorge Law Firm. Lorge was the 2006 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, running against the incumbent Democrat Herb Kohl. Kohl won the election with almost 70% of the vote...

, was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 against incumbent Herb Kohl

Herb Kohl

Herbert H. "Herb" Kohl is the senior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association team...

 in 2006.

Political career

Lorge was a member of the Assembly from 1951 to 1954 and of the Senate from 1955 to 1984. In 1957, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 primary for the nomination for the United States Senate, losing to Walter J. Kohler, Jr.

Walter J. Kohler, Jr.

Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr. was the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin for three terms from 1951 to 1957 and a leading figure in state and national Republican Party activities. His role in the clash between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 has interested...

. Kohler lost to William Proxmire

William Proxmire

Edward William Proxmire was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 to 1989.-Personal life:...

in the general election.