- ST.
NORBERT ABBEY
- DE
PERE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A.
- Rev.
Adrian C. Traeger, O. Praem.
- b. Wednesday,
May 12,
1909 – d. Saturday, Nov. 14, 1987
Our brother Adrian Traeger was born in Shawano, (SHAW-no)
Wisconsin
in 1909. After his frosh year at
the college, “Adie” joined the Order in 1929, was appointed to the faculty
at Archmere in 1933, and to Southeast Catholic in 1934, when he was solemnly
professed. He spent 1935 back at the
abbey in preparation for ordination, and was back at Southeast in 1936.
In 1937, Adie
added woodworking and mechanical drawing to the school’s curriculum, spending
the summers of the late ‘30’s and early ‘40’s, accumulating credits at
Spring Garden Institute in Philly and at U.W. Stout, in Menominee,
Wisconsin
, to further his knowledge and expertise in these areas.
From
1947 until 1950, he typed his first edition of “A
Survey of the Norbertine Fathers in the
United States
”, a summary chronicle of the lives of the Order’s members from the
beginnings of the missionary endeavors to 1950.
In
1951, Adie was transferred to Central Catholic, and in 1955 to Premontre, where
he built and set up a woodworking shop and drafting room.
In 1960, he completed the revised second edition of his Norbertine
Fathers’ survey and extended the summary through 1985.
Adie
became the pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Oneida in 1961, while still
teaching 4 courses at Premontre. After
an arson’s fire destroyed the parish complex in 1965, he designed and
supervised the rebuilding of a church and convent.
He remained pastor until 1984, when he retired to the abbey until his
death Saturday, November 14th, 1987 at the age of 78.
