Bill and Sue Drager will be the 1999 Town and Country Day's Parade Grand Marshals.The Drager's were named the Grand Marshals by the Paynesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
"It is an honor to be chosen as parade Grand Marshals," said Sue Drager.
She added that it was a special honor because most of the Grand Marshals have been town mayors or ex-mayors.
Both Bill and Sue have been very involved in the community. Bill was a police officer for 24 years in Paynesville, he was also the Chief of Police for a few years before his retirement.
Bill was born and raised in Paynesville. Sue was born in Willmar.
Bill first joined the Navy in 1960 after graduating from high school. In 1962, after being discharged, he came back to the area and worked at Cold Spring Granite. He also began to be involved in the city of Paynesville's civil defense team.
He started to work as a part-time police officer, he mostly worked the school events. After many years of service in the Paynesville Police Department he was named the Chief of Police. He also started the Paynesville Police Explorer Post.
Right now Bill is active in the American Legion as well as the Civil Defense Director of Paynesville.
Sue was born and raised in Willmar. After she and Bill married she worked in the Paynesville Area School System as a teacher's assistant. She worked in the school system for 15 years.
She was also one of the original members of the Paynesville Ambulance Corps. She also worked in the Police Explorers post for one year.
Bill and Sue are now caretakers for two retirement homes in Paynesville, Evergreen and Greenwing Estates.
"Both Sue and I have always catered to older people," said Bill Drager. "We have also enjoyed catering to them."
The Drager's have two daughters, Lisa and Andrea.
"We retired to become full-time grandparents," said Bill, jokingly.
The Dragers have many interests. They both like to go camping and do some gardening in their spare time.