Harold
Harold Guy Trauger
d. April 16, 2012
Harold Guy Trauger, Humboldt, passed away on Monday, April 16, 2012. He was 93 years old. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt with Rev. Paige officiating. Visitation is Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the services at the church. Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt will be in charge of arrangements, and burial will be in the Lu Verne Cemetery.
Harold was born October 24, 1918, on a farm near Livermore, Humboldt County, Iowa. He graduated from Livermore High School in 1938. After graduation, he worked on farms and sold insurance in the area. He also drove the first school bus for Lu Verne Community School.
In 1940, he was united in marriage to Thelma Harriet Hof from Lu Verne, Iowa. Later that year, he purchased a grocery store in Lu Verne, which he operated until 1969. After 29 years in the grocery business and 8 years farming near Lu Verne, he retired and moved in 1976 to Spirit Lake, Iowa. He resided there for a number of years before moving to Humboldt in 1992, where he lived until after Thelma passed away in 1996.
While in Lu Verne, he was very active in various community organizations and as a member of the United Methodist Church. He was a member and president of the Lu Verne Chamber of Commerce. In addition to managing the grocery store, he also served as a town councilman for 5 years and as town clerk for 17 years. He was a life-time member of the American Legion Post in Lu Verne. He also was a Past Master of the Masonic Lodge at Livermore and later the Eastern Star Lodge in Humboldt. He received recognition for 50-year membership in the Lodge, an honor of which he was especially proud. Harold enjoyed fishing, hunting, traveling, photography, and gardening. He also was a taxidermist.
Harold served 2 years in the United States Air Force during World War II from December 1943 to October 1945. He trained as a mechanic on B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress aircraft, and he was an instructor and preflight technician for B-29s. He was discharged from Andrews Field near Washington, D.C., where he was last stationed.
In 1997, he married Della Wells Neal and lived in Sun City West, Arizona for 5 years before moving back to Humboldt in 2002. They resided at the Springvale Senior Center for several years, before moving into Long Term Care at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. He was a member of Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt.
He is survived by his wife, Della Trauger of Humboldt; 3 sons and daughters-in-law, David and Alice Trauger of Marine on Saint Croix, Minnesota; Harold Dean and Kathleen Trauger of Mankato, Minnesota; and Daryl and Elaine Trauger of Overland Park, Kansas; 6 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; a stepson and daughter-in-law, Gregory and Louise Neal of Flagstaff, Arizona; 3 step-grandchildren and 3 step-great grandchildren. His sister, Elizabeth Blanche (Trauger) Bierma of Chesapeake, Virginia, and his brother and sister-in-law, Merlin Gerald and Lois Jean (Masterson) Trauger of Rothville, Missouri; and Verda (Sanford) Trauger of Fort Dodge, Iowa; many nieces and nephews and numerous friends also survive him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Guy Arlie and Esther Elizabeth (Frokjer) Trauger; his first wife, Thelma Harriet (Hof ) Trauger; two brothers, Leonard Arlie and James Lee Trauger, and a brother-in-law, Robert Leo Bierma.
Harold was born October 24, 1918, on a farm near Livermore, Humboldt County, Iowa. He graduated from Livermore High School in 1938. After graduation, he worked on farms and sold insurance in the area. He also drove the first school bus for Lu Verne Community School.
In 1940, he was united in marriage to Thelma Harriet Hof from Lu Verne, Iowa. Later that year, he purchased a grocery store in Lu Verne, which he operated until 1969. After 29 years in the grocery business and 8 years farming near Lu Verne, he retired and moved in 1976 to Spirit Lake, Iowa. He resided there for a number of years before moving to Humboldt in 1992, where he lived until after Thelma passed away in 1996.
While in Lu Verne, he was very active in various community organizations and as a member of the United Methodist Church. He was a member and president of the Lu Verne Chamber of Commerce. In addition to managing the grocery store, he also served as a town councilman for 5 years and as town clerk for 17 years. He was a life-time member of the American Legion Post in Lu Verne. He also was a Past Master of the Masonic Lodge at Livermore and later the Eastern Star Lodge in Humboldt. He received recognition for 50-year membership in the Lodge, an honor of which he was especially proud. Harold enjoyed fishing, hunting, traveling, photography, and gardening. He also was a taxidermist.
Harold served 2 years in the United States Air Force during World War II from December 1943 to October 1945. He trained as a mechanic on B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress aircraft, and he was an instructor and preflight technician for B-29s. He was discharged from Andrews Field near Washington, D.C., where he was last stationed.
In 1997, he married Della Wells Neal and lived in Sun City West, Arizona for 5 years before moving back to Humboldt in 2002. They resided at the Springvale Senior Center for several years, before moving into Long Term Care at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. He was a member of Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt.
He is survived by his wife, Della Trauger of Humboldt; 3 sons and daughters-in-law, David and Alice Trauger of Marine on Saint Croix, Minnesota; Harold Dean and Kathleen Trauger of Mankato, Minnesota; and Daryl and Elaine Trauger of Overland Park, Kansas; 6 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; a stepson and daughter-in-law, Gregory and Louise Neal of Flagstaff, Arizona; 3 step-grandchildren and 3 step-great grandchildren. His sister, Elizabeth Blanche (Trauger) Bierma of Chesapeake, Virginia, and his brother and sister-in-law, Merlin Gerald and Lois Jean (Masterson) Trauger of Rothville, Missouri; and Verda (Sanford) Trauger of Fort Dodge, Iowa; many nieces and nephews and numerous friends also survive him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Guy Arlie and Esther Elizabeth (Frokjer) Trauger; his first wife, Thelma Harriet (Hof ) Trauger; two brothers, Leonard Arlie and James Lee Trauger, and a brother-in-law, Robert Leo Bierma.
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