Viterbo chaplain and volunteering couple receive Iverson-Freking honors for 2023

A couple known for community involvement, and a clergyman who spent many years as a military chaplain, are the latest winners of a La Crosse area award that’s been around almost 40 years. 

The Iverson-Freking Awards from the Bethany-St. Joseph nursing homes are given this year to Marc and Sue Schultz and Father Conrad Targonski. 

At the announcement ceremony on Thursday, Sue, who’s a past Mrs. Oktoberfest, talked about getting satisfaction from helping others, and Marc urged young people to get an early start at volunteering around the community.

He’s a former military chaplain, and says he often takes veterans to the Italian town of Assisi, in recognition of the work of Francis.

The awards were established by Bethany-St. Joseph in the 1980’s, as a way of recognizing members of different faiths working together. The program is named after former La Crosse Catholic Bishop Frederick Freking and Lutheran businessman Carl Iverson, who both helped start the nursing home.