Ralph "Sonny" Charles Trageser Jr., 78, of Verdi, MN passed away at his home Monday, May 11, 2020 surrounded by his family. Ralph was born on March 25, 1942 to Ralph Sr. and Collette "Rody" (Kennedy) Trageser in Pipestone, MN. He grew up on the family farm in Troy Township and attended Verdi High School graduating in 1960. He worked on the family farm after he graduated. In July of 1962 Ralph married Dene Kay Loges. Ralph and Dene were blessed with three daughters Christine, Donna, and Victoria. He later married Jadie Ingram in 1977 and they were blessed with another daughter Courtney and stepdaughter Jennifer.  Later on, Ralph married Jolene (Blum) Noble on December 26, 1992 at Christ the King Church in Pipestone, MN. With this marriage he was blessed with two additional stepchildren Travis and Nichelle. Ralph's early years were working on the family farm with his two brothers Lowell and Donny. After Ralph and Dene were married, they lived across from the Trageser family farm where they farmed twelve quarters with his brothers. Ralph also shelled corn for many of his friends and neighbors in the early years and would work tirelessly to get the job done. Ralph continued farming until 1977, at which point he took other jobs including Bayliner, Larry Rieck, Cottonwood Farms, and Carstensen's Repair. Ralph continued to farm on and off until 1990, at which point he took a position with John Prunty. Ralph truly loved working for John.  Coffee breaks were filled with Liz's treats, pepper card games and discussing the work for the day.  While employed by John, some of Ralph's duties were cultivating, tending the hog operation and hauling manure.  Hauling manure was Ralph's specialty, as he took great ownership in that part of the operation.  As John and Liz's children grew, Ralph treated them as his own and loved being a part of their lives and still does to this day.  Ralph retired in 2007 and continued to enjoy coffee breaks and couldn't wait for spring and fall when he could haul manure again. Ralph enjoyed life and there was nothing he enjoyed more than a good tractor auction. His love of tractor restoration started with his first tractor bought in July of 1992 from Rod Wilson. It was a John Deere 1936 B which remains a family keepsake.  He loved to restore tractors and knew more about tractor parts than anyone around. His wife Jo helped him take every tractor apart (every nut and bolt) paint and put them back together piece by piece.  He was particularly proud of traveling to Oregon, where he hunted for a tractor to bring back. He found an International Cub which fit into a U-Haul trailer with little room to spare. Ralph and Jo also traveled to Michigan to bring back a family tractor that had special meaning to the family. During the years, Ralph taught his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to drive and ride on his tractors, and they looked forward to parading them through the town of Verdi, as he proudly kept all of them running.  Ralph and Jo and family enjoyed sharing their love of tractor restoration by participating at Prairie Village, community parades in Lake Benton and Elkton, and Tractor Caravans. Ralph's children and grandchildren fondly remember visits that were filled with playing chicken foot, lucky thirteen and Sequence.  He will be remembered for his quick wit, sense of humor, sleeveless snappy shirts, his pliers and antique tractor collection.  He was very particular about his TV watching habits.  He loved westerns, Twins baseball, American Pickers and Dancing with the Stars.  As many know, he was light on his feet and everyone loved watching him dance the Jitterbug.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife Jolene Trageser; his children, Christine Ames (Anthony Taylor), McMinnville, OR, Donna Bintz, Maple Grove, MN, Vicki (Gary) Smith, McMinnville, OR, Courtney (Jacob) Peetoom, Sherwood, OR; his stepchildren, Travis (Hollie) Noble and Nichelle (Kevin) Buffington, both of Ivanhoe, MN and Jennifer (Mike) Thomas, Marshall, MN; grandchildren, SamanthaJo (Dustin) Meyeraan, Devon Buffington, Hannah Bintz, Shanelle (fiancé Caleb Leloux) Buffington, Keegan (Alexis) Wooldridge, Jeanette Noble, Taylor Ames, Andrew Bintz, Zackary Smith, Maia Smith, Grayson Peetoom; great-grandchildren, Bentlee Buffington,  Lester Meyeraan, LakeLyn Meyeraan; his sister Janice North, Mankato, MN; and two sisters-in-law, Barb Trageser, Lake Benton, MN and Marlene Trageser, Cannon Falls, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph Sr. and Collette Trageser, brothers, Lowell and Donald Trageser and great-grandchild Lance Meyeraan.

Please someone put the coffee pot on at the coffee house and save him a seat at the men's table.

Private family services will be held with burial in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Verdi, MN.