Shelby  County  Indiana
Obituaries

Drager

The  Shelbyville  Republican
Monday, March 5, 1962
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RITES  SET  FOR  JENNIE  DRAGER
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Miss Jennie F.* Drager, 78, R. R. 3, Addison township, died Saturday morning, Franklin nursing home.
Ewing Mortuary Wednesday at 10 a.m.  Rev. Robert E. Maas will officiate. Burial:  City cemetery.
Poor health for the past year and a half.  Death attributed to complications. Lifetime resident of Shelby County,  member of the local Women's Relief Corps and a member of the Fenns Christian Church.
Born in Addison township June 11, 1883, d/o  Louis and Phoebe (Cherry) Drager.
Survivors:  two nieces and a nephew, Mrs. Merilyn Tower  of Rushville,  Mrs. Virginia Thompson  of Los Angeles and  Eugene E. McClain, Fairland.
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* Middle initial 'J.' per family records - NVG
Contributed by Nancy Vance Glover
Summarized by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Shelbyville  Republican
Thursday, April 4, 1940 (daily paper)
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STRICKEN  WOMAN,  CARRIED  TO  SAFETY,
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DIES  SHORTLY  AFTER  FIRE
DESTROYS  FARM  HOME
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          Unaware that she had been rescued from a six room home which fire leveled a few hours earlier,  Mrs. Mary Frances Drager, 85 year old native of Shelby county, died at 9:25 last night at Major hospital.  Critically ill since stricken by apoplexy eight months ago, the aged woman died without rallying from a coma into which she lapsed Sunday night.  A few hours before her death, fire ignited by chimney sparks, swept through her home, four miles south of the city, and as shown in the picture above, left only smouldering embers of the foundation.  While the body of Mrs. Drager was removed to the C. F. Fix & Son mortuary here to await funeral arrangements, her two daughters--one the mother of four children--found refuge last night with neighbors.  They had shared the country home with their mother, but the fire had made such headway when discovered at 5:00 p.m. that with the aid of a hired hand, they had time only to hurry the dying woman to the home of a neighbor, returning in time to remove a solitary chair from the kitchen of the flaming house.  All other furnishings, as well as their personal possessions, were destroyed in the quick spreading conflagration.  The fire, burning intensely through the frame wood addition to an old log cabin, was witnessed by scores of persons attracted to the scene one-half mile west of State Road 9.  None, however, arrived in time to attempt to battle the blaze, and earliest arrivals worked frantically to make sure no persons was trapped by the inferno.  Mrs. Drager was carried to a neighboring home and later removed to the hospital here in the C. F. Fix & Son ambulance.  The daughter of  Andrew and Catherine Jane Cherry,  Mary Frances Cherry  was born in Shelby county Oct. 4, 1854.  On Christmas Day of 1892, she became the wife of  Jacob Drager, whose death occurred in January, 1922.  Mrs. Drager is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Stella Kale  and  Miss Pearl Mae Drager, both of whom resided at home.  Also surviving are one brother, James L. Cherry, of Hendricks township; one sister, Mrs. Cynthia Jones, of Shelbyville; four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.  A member of the Fenns Christian church, Mrs. Drager also had been active in Pocahontas lodge Kiowa council No. 76.  Her funeral arrangements had not been completed last night.

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The  Shelbyville  Republican
Friday, April 5, 1940
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DRAGER  BURIAL  WILL  BE  TODAY
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          Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Frances Drager, aged county woman who died Thursday night shortly after fire ravaged her farm home, south of Shelbyville will be held at 2:30 p.m. today at the C. F. Fix & Son mortuary.  Unconscious at the time of her removal from the burning house Mrs. Drager, who was 85, died at Major hospital from an illness induced by apoplexy.  Officiating at the rites today will be Rev. H. Clay Brown, of Milroy, former pastor of the Fenns christian church.  Interment will be in the family lot at Forest Hill cemetery.  Friends may call at the mortuary any time before the hour of services.
Contributed by Nancy Vance Glover

The  Shelbyville  Republican
Wednesday, August 9, 1939 (daily paper)
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ILLNESS  FATAL  TO  MRS. DRAGER
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          Mrs. Phoebe J. Drager, 80 years old, widow of  Louis Drager, died at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer McCain, on the north Riley Highway in Marion township after having been ill seven months, suffering from asthma of the heart.  Her illness became serious three weeks ago.  Mrs. Drager was born in Shelby township, December 3, 1850, a daughter of  Andrew and Catherine Cherry.  Her marriage to  Louis Drager  took place October 4, 1878.  His death occurred on September 11, 1916.  They had five children, two of whom survive.  Besides the daughter at whose home she died, Mrs. Drager leaves another daughter, Miss Jennie Drager, who resided with Mrs. Drager at her home in Shelby township.  Also surviving are three grandchildren, Doris Marilyn  and  Eugene Elmer McCain, and  Virginia Thompson, of Culver City, Cal., and several nieces and nephews.  Two older sisters and an older brother are other survivors.  They are  Mrs. Cynthia A. Jones, 90, who resides in Shelbyville with her daughter, Mrs. Marie Sexton;  Mrs. Frances Drager, 84 years old, of Shelby township, and  James L. Cherry, 82, of Hendricks township.  Mrs. Drager was a member of the Pleasant Grove Christian church at Fenns.  The Rev. C. Clay Brown, former pastor of that church, and the Rev. Ernest L. Ford of the First Christian church in Shelbyville, will officiate in the funeral service, to be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Friday in the C. F. Fix & Son funeral home.  Burial will be in the family lot in the City cemetery.  Friends may call at the McCain home after 6:00 o'clock this evening.
Contributed by Nancy Vance Glover

The  Shelbyville  Republican
(daily paper)
Saturday, January 21, 1922
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JACOB J. DRAGER DIED SATURDAY
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          Jacob James Drager, age sixty-seven years, well known farmer and resident of Shelby township, died at his home south of Shelbyville, Saturday morning, at six-forty-five o'clock.  His death was caused by a cancer, and followed an illness of six months.  Mr. Drager was born in Cincinnati April 9, 1842.  He came to Shelby county when a young man, and settled on a farm in Shelby township.  He had been a resident of this county for many years.  On December 25, 1892, he was married to  Frances Cherry.  Mr. Drager was a member of the local Tribe of Red Men, and the members of that order will participate in the funeral services.  He leaves his widow, two daughters, Mrs. Russell Kehl, of this city, and  Miss Pearl Drager, at home; and two sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Dill, of Scott county, Indiana, and  Mrs. Frances Overdurff, of Indianapolis.  Two grandchildren also survive.  Funeral services will be held on Tuesday afternoon at two-thirty o'clock at the Fenn's Christian church the Rev. Sam Kneisley officiating.  Burial will be made in Forest Hill cemetery, in charge of Stewart and Fix.
Contributed by Nancy Vance Glover

The  Shelbyville  Republican
Monday, September 11, 1916 (daily paper)

LOUIS  DRAGER  DIED  AFTER  SHORT  ILLNESS
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          Louis Drager, sixty-five years old, one of the prominent farmer residents of Shelby county, died Monday morning at six-forty o'clock at his home, four miles southwest of Shelbyville, in Hendricks township.  Death was caused by yellow jaundice.  Mr. Drager's illness was of but short duration.  He attended the county fair regularly and did not complain of illness during the week.  He was the oldest son of the late  Lewis Drager,  and was born March 23, 1851 at Cincinnati.  Fifty-nine years ago he came to Shelby county and had since resided here.  He had made a success dduring his life on the farm and owned a fine piece of ground at his death.  Mr. Drager was married October 4, 1878 to  Miss Phoebe J. Cherry,  a daughter of  Andrew Cherry,  who was then a resident of Shelby county.  Besides his widow, he is survived by two daughters,  Mrs. Elmer McCain  of Washington township and  Miss Pearl Drager,  at home; one brother,  Jacob Drager,  of Shelby township, and two sisters,  Mrs. Fannie Overduff,  of Indianapolis and  Mrs. Lizzie Dill,  of Washington county, Indiana.  Mr. Drager was a charter member of the Fraternal Order of Common People. The funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock at the late home with the Rev. J. T. Scull, of Milroy officiating assisted by the Rev. G. I. Hoover, pastor of the Pleasant Grove church.  Burial will be made in the City cemetery.
Contributed by Nancy Vance Glover

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