Although they were not twins, brothers Charles and Van Partridge still had many things in common. Joining the American Legion in 1919 and helping found Owatonna’s Post 77 was one of the experiences these brothers shared.
Charles was born on August 19, 1891 and Van arrived three years later on October 29. The brothers attended high school in Owatonna where they both played for the basketball team. Charles continued playing at the U of M where he was part of the 1917 champion team.
That same year, America entered World War I. The Partridge brothers joined the military and headed overseas. Charles was with the 159th Infantry in France while Van was a member of the Signal Corps and spent time in occupied Germany.
Back in Owatonna after the war, Charles and Van became active in organizing the Legion. In May of 1919, a group of former servicemen selected Charles to attend the Legion’s St. Louis Caucus. Both he and his brother affixed their signature to the Post 77 charter later that summer.
In the 1920s, Charles worked for the Minnesota Implement Dealers Association before coming to work at Federated with Van. When they were not working, both brothers enjoyed fishing and were members of the Izaak Walton League.
Van outlived Charles who died on November 8, 1970. By the 1990s, Van was the sole remaining founder of Post 77 and one of the last World War I veterans in the county. He died on February 9, 1994, nine months shy of his one-hundredth birthday.
