BioA: Draeger, Mr. & Mrs. Paul (Gold – 1950)     

Contact: Dinah Reinke

Email: dinah@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Draeger, Antram, Becker, Watson, Tesmer, Bailey, Panke, Allmann, Nelson, Kleinstick

------ Source: Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford and Colby, Clark Co., Wis.) 01/06/1966

------ Draeger, Mr. & Mrs. Paul (Gold - 30 DEC 1965)

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Draeger, Colby, celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary Thursday, Dec. 30.  The Rev. Kenneth Dix officiated at the 1 p.m. service at the United Church of Christ, Colby.  Miss Sandra Antram, Louisville, Ohio, played the organ and two grandsons, Paul L. Draeger of Racine and Keith P. Becker of Colby, sang solos.  Two of the original attendants, Mrs. Robert Watson, Genoa City, and Edwin Tesmer, Tomahawk, were present.

A family dinner for eight was served Wednesday evening at Medo Farms Restaurant, Abbotsford.  The table was decorated with yellow mums.  Following the Thursday service, an open house was held at the church from 2 to 5 p.m.  Relatives attended a small reception that evening at the Draeger home.  Mrs. Draeger wore a corsage of yellow roses, and her husband wore a matching carnation.

Everett Bailey, Alameda, Calif., a nephew of the couple, presented them with matching gold wrist watches.

At the reception in the church, the table was decorated with a four-tiered square wedding cake, decorated with a golden top with 50 in the center and white plastic bells, doves and Bibles.  Also decorating the table were gold tapers and napkins printed in gold for the occasion.  The anniversary events were planned and given by their children and families and their nephew they reared.  A beautiful guest book in white and engraved in gold was given to the honored couple by their grandson and wife, Mr. and Mrs. David C. Becker, Fort Dodge, Ia.

Anna Panke and Paul Draeger were united in marriage Dec. 30, 1915, at St. John’s Evangelical church, now the First United Church of Christ, Colby.

Mrs. Draeger was born April 15, 1892, at Colby, which has been her home ever since.

Paul Draeger was born March 21, 1891, at Clarno.  At the time of his marriage he was employed at the Medford Lumber Co.  Later, he worked for the Colby Milling Co., until his retirement in 1956.

Mr. and Mrs. Draeger are both members of the First United Church of Christ.  Mrs. Draeger is a lifelong member, having been baptized, confirmed and married in the same church.  She served for 17 years as secretary of the Woman’s Guild of which she is still a member.  She is also a member of the Royal Neighbors and the Eastern Star.  Mr. Draeger was chairman of the building committee when the present church was built, after the original building was destroyed by fire.  He is also a member of the Masons.

Both are in excellent health.  Mrs. Draeger enjoys doing fancy work, and her husband’s hobby is woodworking.

The Draegers are the parents of two children, Paul Jr., Racine, and Mrs. Henrietta Becker, Colby.  They also reared a nephew, Everett Bailey, Alameda, Calif.

Relatives attending the reception were Mrs. Grace Allmann, Medford, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Allmann, Medford, Mrs. Margaret Allmann and son Billie, and daughter, Peggy, Stevens Point, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Draeger and son Paul Louis, Racine, Mrs. Henrietta Becker and son, Keith, Tiffin, Ohio, Mr. and Mrs. David Becker, Fort Dodge, Ia., Miss Sandra Antram, Tiffin, Ohio, Mrs. Thorwald Nelson and son, Donald of Marshfield, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kleinstick, Edgar, and Otto Kleinstick.