Ada M. Drache

Ada Marie (Nelson) Drache

            Ada Drache, age 93, died peacefully in her apartment on Saturday, April 22, 2023, with loved ones at her side.

            Ada Marie Nelson was born May 20, 1929, at Slayton, MN to Arthur and Ellen (Gustafson) Nelson.  She attended District #113, rural Murray County, and graduated from Slayton High School in 1946 as salutatorian of her class.  She attended Gustavus Adolphus College until her marriage to Hiram M. Drache, Meriden, MN on February 28, 1948, at Avoca, MN.  They lived in Owatonna, MN for two years where Hiram taught high school and Ada worked as a secretary for the Owatonna Hide and Fur Company, and Gandy’s.   While Hiram worked on his master’s degree she lived with Hiram’s parents in Meriden and attended Mankato

            State University, after which she taught for two years in District #14 rural Owatonna.  They moved to Moorhead in 1952 and she became Public Relations Secretary at Concordia College where Hiram taught.  They returned to Owatonna in 1953 for two years where Ada was secretary at the King Company and Hiram worked for Federated Mutual Insurance Company.  In 1955 they purchased a farm at Baker, MN and Hiram returned to teaching at Concordia.  Their three children, Kay, David, and Paul were born while they lived at Baker.

            Ada was active at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Barnesville, where she taught Sunday School and served as ALCW president, Moorhead Conference ALCW president, and Education Secretary for the Northern Minnesota District ALCW.  She was a trustee of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library, a member of the Friendly Neighbors Homemaker’s Club, the Sabin-Baker Women’s Republican Club, and assistant chairwoman for the Clay County Farm Bureau.

            In 1981 they moved to Fargo where they joined Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead.  She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Women, Trinity Home Bible Study, was elected to the church council and served as secretary for two years, and was a Trustee on the Trinity Foundation.  She also was a member of the Quester’s International Antique Club, the Fine Arts Club of Fargo, and Study Club of Fargo.  Ada was very involved with her husband’s writing and served as typist, grammarian, and editor.  She retired as editor in December 2013.

            She enjoyed reading, sewing, Hardanger, antiquing, trying new recipes, and traveling with her husband, which included five weeks in Australia, seven trips to Europe, and three months in Austria.

            She is survived by one daughter, Kay (Loren Botner), St. Louis Park; two sons, David (Mary), Roseville; Paul (Lisa), Columbia, KY; seven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Donna Jacobson of Brainerd; two brothers, LeRoy Nelson of Slayton and Armond Nelson of Murdock, and her husband of 72 years, Hiram.

            In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Hiram and Ada Drache Fund at Concordia College, Trinity Foundation, or The Fine Arts Club of Fargo and may be directed to Kay Drache at 3067 Zarthan Ave. S, St. Louis Park, MN 55416.

            Funeral: Friday, May 19, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, MN. For those not able to attend, the funeral will be livestreamed at www.trinitymhd.org and on Ada’s page at wrightfuneral.com, where a video tribute and online guestbook may also be found.

            Interment: Moorhead Memorial Gardens