LAVEARN DRAEGER obituary

LaVearn F. Draeger, 83, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, at a Havre care center of natural causes.

A prayer vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home. A funeral Mass will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the St. Jude

Catholic Church with the Rev. Robert D. Grosch officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery in Havre. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the St. Jude Parish Center immediately following the services at the graveside.

LaVearn was born on May 18, 1920, to Arnold and Louise (Theisen) Frey in Havre. She was raised on a farm south of Havre and attended St. Jude and Havre High School.

She married Alfred Draeger on Aug. 29, 1942, in Havre. The couple made their home north of Havre where they lived for 35 years. LaVearn worked at Ted's Restaurant, the Devlin School cafeteria and Gambles Department Store. In 1977, Alfred retired and they moved to Havre from the farm.

They moved to the Eagles Manor in November 2001. She entered the Northern Montana Care Center in August of 2003 and remained there until her death.

LaVearn loved her family, gardening, and visiting with her family and friends. She also volunteered at the Northern Montana Hospital, where she was a lifetime member of the Northern Montana Hospital Auxiliary and received her 25-year pin award in April of 2003. She worked the coffee cart for many years until her ill health prevented her from continuing. LaVearn was a member of the Happy Homemaker's Home Demonstration Club. She was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church. She was baptized and was confirmed at St. Jude.

She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Betty Knutson; brother, Clarence Frey; and son-in-law Ron Stephan.

Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Alfred Draeger of Havre; children, Marilyn (Mike) Wojtowick of Havre, Patricia (Everett) Thomas of Keller, Texas, and Rita (Les) Zuehlsdorff of Battle Lake, Minn .; son-in-law Ron Knutson of Havre; grandchildren, Jacinte Knutson of Chandler, Ariz .; Chad Wojtowick of St. Paul, Minn .; Brent (Trisha) Thomas and Marra Thomas, all of Littleton, Colo., Nicholas Stephan of Elk River, Minn., Chad (Sue) Zuehlsdorff of Watertown, Minn., Chris (Heidi) Stephan and Ron (Shanda) Stephen of Elk River, Minn., and Jessica Zuehlsdorff of Battle Lake, Minn .; sister, Alice Darby of Federal Way, Wash .; sister-in-law, Marguerite Frey of Havre; special friend, Ramona Anderson of Havre; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials in LaVearn's honor may be made to the St. Jude Catholic Church, 624 Fourth St., Havre, MT 59501; the Gift of Life, P.O. Box 7008, Great Falls, MT 59406-7008; or to a memorial of one's choice.

Services and arrangements are under the direction of Holland and Bonine Funeral Home.