Inger Draper

Inger Marie Draper was born on February 28, 1931 in Raritan Township, New Jersey to Magnus and Julia (Madsen) Johnsen, where she grew up and attended school. Her parents moved the family to Tyler, Minnesota for the beginning of her senior year of high school in 1948, as at this time, her parents became caretakers of Danebod Orphanage. She then attended Grandview College in Iowa, and then graduated from Clara Maass Nursing School in New Jersey.

In 1953, Inger married Edwin Draper. The couple first made their home in Tyler and later moved to Lake Benton, Minnesota, where they raised their family. They were blessed with four boys: Ronald, Monte, Todd and Tom.

Inger worked as a registered nurse for 57 years at Tyler Healthcare in Tyler, from 1953 to 2011. She also worked as a nurse at Lake Benton Public School for 26 years, from 1967 to 1993.

She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Lake Benton and recently at Danebod Lutheran Church in Tyler. She was also a member of the Lake Benton Legion Auxiliary and the Town & Country Study Club. She was an avid reader and Minnesota Twins baseball fan and enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On Sunday, April 21, 2024 Inger died peacefully at the Tyler Healthcare Center at the age of 93 years, one month and 24 days.

Inger will be lovingly remembered by her four sons, Ronald (Rebecca) Draper of Chokio, Minnesota, Monte (Charlene) Draper of Bemidji, Minnesota, Todd (Rose) Draper of Marshall, Minnesota, and Tom Draper of Rockford, Minnesota; 15 grandchildren, Jessica Huebner, Jamie Pribbenow, Kelsey Draper, Megan Ebert, Emily Jacobson, Maddie Crowe, Desiree Ludvigson, Sybil Schultz, Nick Draper, Brooke Draper, Ryan Schultz, Brianna Olsen, Lacey Mwaura, Natalie Baker, and Andrew Elbrecht; 31 great-grandchildren; a brother, Henry (Karen) Johnsen of Mountainside, New Jersey; and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Magnus and Julia Johnsen; former husband, Edwin Draper; and two sisters, Mary (George) Korch and Elsie (Richard) Feltus.