Emil C. Droge
Emil C. Droge, 94, Seneca, KS, died Thursday evening, September 1,
2005, at Crestview Manor in Seneca. He bravely fought cancer.
He
was born March 24, 1911, on a farm near Pawnee City, NE, the son of
Henry A. and Gertrude Berdau Droge. The family moved near Nashua, MT
and homesteaded land. They returned to farm north of Seneca when Emil
was seven years old, and he attended Prairie Grove School and worked
on the family farm.
In April of 1940 Emil moved to Los Angeles
where was employed by Douglas Aircraft. He attended machining and electrical
schools and was a machinist for the company for 33 years. After his
retirement, he did handyman work in the Los Angeles area. Later he moved
to the Droge farm north of Seneca and then into Seneca. He did carpenter
work for people, such as building tables for restaurants, quilt racks,
and shelving. He did a lot of work at his church, as well as finishing
work in the homes of his family and at the Pony Express Museum.
On July 4, 1940, he married Maxine L.
Harper at Yuma, AZ. She died December 27, 1988.
He was a member of Friedens United Church
of Christ, north of Seneca, and a former member of Westchester Methodist
Church in Los Angeles, where he and his wife taught Sunday School. He
was a member of the Machinists Union #725. Emil was community minded
and contributed to the STEP Foundation. He received a special award
for his work at the Pony Express Museum in Seneca.
Survivors are a daughter, Elaine Barry,
Bend, OR; a son, Russell L. Droge, Taiwan; five brothers, Leslie and
Arden Droge, Seneca, Charles Droge, Snohomish, WA, John Droge, Waldorf,
MD, and Harry Droge, Council Grove, KS; and seven grandchildren.
Besides his wife, he was preceded in death
by two brothers, Clarence and Leonard, and three sisters, Helen Rhodes,
Margaret Kirk, and Eleanor Duello.
Funeral services will be 2 P.M. Tuesday
at Friedens United Church of Christ, with burial in the church cemetery.
The family will meet with friends from 7 to 8 P.M. Monday at the Lauer
Funeral Home in Seneca, where he will lie in state after 8:30 A.M. Monday.
Memorials may be given for the Friedens
Church, or the American Cancer Society, or the Pony Express Museum,
and sent in care of the family.