Lowell C. Drager

Lowell C. Drager, 74 year old resident of Swanville, MN passed away Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at the Swanville Lions Park Building in Swanville, MN with Rev. Bruce Miller officiating. Burial will be in Springbrook Cemetery in Swanville, MN. A visitation will be held from 4-7 P.M. on Friday at the Swanville Bible Church in Swanville and from 10-11 A.M. on Saturday at the Swanville Lions Park Building in Swanville, MN. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Swanville, MN. Lowell Campbell Drager was born on April 7,1946 to Herbert Otto Drager and Clara Mabel (Campbell) Drager in St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota. He was named by his Grandmother Clara (Edden) Campbell who chose his first name Lowell after her first cousin, Lowell Swindell, and his middle name Campbell after her husband’s side of the family. Lowell attended school in Swanville, graduating from Swanville High School in 1964. From sixth grade through his senior year in high school he worked evenings and weekends at the Swanville News office. At the news office he did every job from proof reading to typesetting, page composition, casting, job press, printing, paper folding and mailing. He also worked part time in the summers at the First State Bank in Swanville as a teller. He attended four years at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating from there in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Speech, Theatre and English. While in college, he worked as an office assistant in the Speech and Theatre Department under Mary Gwen Owen, the department chair. He also served as the House Manager for the department’s theatre productions during his years at Macalester. In the fall of 1968, he began teaching at Swanville High School, where he taught for 31 years, retiring in May of 1999. He taught English, Speech and Theatre, and directed numerous school and community theatre productions. Lowell enjoyed directing theatre, collecting, gardening and traveling. He made 17 trips to London and Europe, including 13 with his mother. He was also able to travel and visit 44 of the 50 states. He was a member of the Minnesota Historical Society, the Morrison County and Todd County Historical Societies and the American Numismatic Association, as well as a life member of the National Education Association. As a member of the Swanville High School Alumni, he helped plan and organize five All-School Reunions between 1986 and 2010. He was one of the shareholders of Granny’s Cafe in Swanville and was the Cafe’s P.M. (printing man) in charge of printing menus, gift certificates, coupons, signs, etc. Lowell is survived by his brother, Curt J. Drager; sister-in-law, Lila (Thompson) Drager; niece, Vicki Green; nephews, Steve and Scott Drager; grand-nephews, Tanner and Taylor Drager; grand-nieces, Erin Kipka, Autumn Drager and Lacey Solbro; children of grand-niece and nephew, Isabella, Noah, Liam Solbro and Kayzlee Zimmerman-Drager; special friends, Eric and Jamie Landowski, Eric, Jr. and Skyler. Lowell was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Mabel Drager; brother, David Drager; grand-nephew, Eric Kipka and his father, Keith “Doug" Kipka.

Tributes

Lowell C. Drager

April 7, 1946 - September 30, 2020