Kenneth "Ken" Drever

Kenneth Walter Drever was born on April 12, 1927, in Tracy, MN, to Thomas and Clara (Ziemke) Drever. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Faith. Ken attended District 22 Redwood County School. He worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945. He served in Germany as a Medic near the conclusion of World War II. After his service, he used the G.I. Bill to learn the grocery business. On July 24, 1949, he was married to Carol “Connie” Gustafson. During the Korean War, Ken was re-activated in the Army. He served at Camp Rucker in Alabama until 1951. After his active duty, he served in the National Guard. Ken went into partnership with his brother, Leonard, in the Red & White Grocery in Walnut Grove until 1960. He then moved to Tracy and worked at Bill’s Fairway Foods until 1968 when he bought Ken’s Super Valu. He sold the store in 1989. Ken and Connie wintered in Mesa, AZ, and Ken worked at Albertsons Grocery. The couple returned to Tracy in 2003 and Ken worked at Hy-Vee in Marshall, retiring for the last time at age 88. He was a lifetime member of the VFW and American Legion. He also belonged to the Tracy Lions Club and Eagles and volunteered for the Tracy Ambulance Service. He enjoyed bowling, golf, bike riding, walking, playing cards and gardening. He especially enjoyed time with his family. Ken was very social. He enjoyed visiting with his customers at the store and friends over coffee. Ken died on Thursday, April 18, 2019, at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. He is survived by his son Scott and wife Cheri, daughter Vicki and husband Edward Scott, daughter Dana Bistrup, six grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, sister Dorothy (Weber) Pauling, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Connie, brothers Harold and Leonard and sister Leona.