Dennis Traeger Is Jefferson County Veteran Of The Month
By Doug Kapke
Dennis Traeger was honored as Jefferson County’s Veteran of the Month for April by county commissioners at the start of their meeting Tuesday morning, April 7, 2026. He was also presented with a hand-made, patriotic wall-hanging by Rory Rosener.
Traeger was born into a Jefferson County farming family that operated a “Grade A Dairy Program.” He attended grade school at District 28. He was active in 4-H and is a past “4-H King.”
While attending Fairbury High School, Traeger was active as president of Future Farmers of America (FFA), was on the winning State Dairy Cattle Judging Team and was a member of student council. After graduating in 1966 he attended two years at Fairbury Junior College before attending the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL) from 1968 to 1971, majoring in Animal Science with a Dairy Degree option.
While attending UNL, Traeger was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and was commissioned a second lieutenant (2LT) in January, 1971.
Lieutenant Traeger attended Infantry Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, from February, 1971 through May, 1971. Vietnam was winding down, and with 7,000 surplus junior officers, Traeger joined the Army Reserves, Company B, 3rd Battalion in Fairbury as the Executive Officer and Training Officer. He was promoted to Company Commander in January, 1975.
Traeger’s Infantry unit transferred to an Armor unit in 1974 and he was promoted to 1LT in January, 1975. In March, 1976, he was assigned as the officer in charge of: Logistics Readiness, Race Relations, Equal Opportunity, Information, Safety, Marksmanship, Custodian of Classified Documents, Security Management and Athletics and Recreation.
In 1977 Traeger was promoted to Captain and once again became the Company B Commander. All summer camps from 1972 to 1977 were spent in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Captain Traeger left the Active Reserves June 19, 1978.
Traeger has been an active farmer and dairyman, even during his entire time in the Army Reserves. He has been on the Jefferson County Fair Board for over 44 years, served as president of the State Holstein Association for several years, served as president four years during his six year State Dairy Board membership, member of the Dairy Herd Association, Church Elder, past president of both the 4-H Council and Jefferson County Extension Board, served 23 years on the Fairbury Rural Fire Department and served on the Fire Board for six years.
Traeger quit milking cows in 2010, recently joined Fairbury American Legion Post 24 and is currently semi-retired living in rural Jefferson County.
