People from the Past: Frank and Bessie Krager

Bessie and Frank Krager

Frank A. Krager (1886-1952) was born at Harvel on November 5, 1886, the son of John Christian and Paulena Baker Krager. He attended Mount Vernon school, a one-room country school at rural Harvel. At a later time, Bessie File was teaching school there and they became acquainted and later married at St. Isidore’s Church in Farmersville on May 3, 1916. Bessie, daughter of Charles and Sara File was born in Salem, Oregon on January 22, 1890, coming to Illinois from Kansas in a covered wagon at three years of age. She attended one-room schools and eventually taught in the same type of schools, Burnett school near Waggoner and Mt. Vernon near Harvel.

Children of Frank and Bessie Krager
From left: Mary, John, Frances, Tony, Sally, and Larry

                         Bessie saw many changes in her lifetime that most of us can only read about - from traveling by horse and wagon to the age of trains and cars - from the first airplane and Lindberg’s historical flight across the ocean, to man’s first on the moon and more. Bessie’s years on the farm were happy ones, though busy.

Frank and Bessie had six children. Frances, born August 29, 1917, married Raymond Herman. The had four children: Gerald, John, Robert, and Gail.

Lawrence (Barney) was born May 18, 1919 and married Mary K. Basso at Litchfield in 1946. They had four children: Janet, Betty, Larry, and Donald.

Celestine (Sally) was born May 3, 1921 and married John Lyons. They had four children: John Richard, Jean, James, and Greg.

John was born April 18, 1925 and married Dorothy Kinney in October 1947. They had ten children: Jeanne, Suzanne, Linda, Joe, David, Nancy, Paul, Sally, Chris, and Gary.

Mary was both on July 8, 1927 and married Shirlen Rosenthal on November 26, 1947 in Raymond. They had four children: Larry, Marilyn, Dennis, and Thomas.

Howard (Tony) was born June 2, 1934 and married Mary Gurick of Litchfield. They had six children: Paul Anthony, Frank, William, Lisa, Michelle, and Julie.

Frank’s ill health determined they should leave the farm and move to Raymond in 1949. Frank died on February 12, 1952. After his death, Bessie continued living alone all but one year due to ill health. She spent the last year in the nursing home in Hillsboro. She enjoyed Cardinal baseball. Bessie died on May 4, 1992 at the age of 102, leaving 6 children, 32 grandchildren, and 54 great grandchildren.

Frank and Bessie are buried in St. Raymond’s Cemetery at Raymond.

Bessie Krager at age 100

The information on Frank and Bessie Krager and family was taken from Raymond's 125 Years of Memories book, published in 1996.