BIOGRAPHY: Rev. Rupert TRAGESER, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 398-9
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REV. RUPERT TRAGESER, the zealous and popular pastor of St. Nicholas Catholic 
church at Nicktown, is the youngest of five sons and three daughters born to 
Conrad and Mary Ann (Snyder) Trageser.
     He was born in Altenmittlan, in one of the present states of the German 
empire, September 18, 1853. At sixteen years of age he left his native land and 
came to western Pennsylvania, where he immediately entered St. Vincent's 
college, Latrobe, Westmoreland county, and spent over ten years in classical and 
theological studies. He was then, in 1880, ordained to the priesthood at St. 
Vincent's by the late Rt. Rev. J. Tuigg, D.D., bishop of Pittsburg, and 
immediately entered upon his ministerial labors as assistant pastor of St. 
Mary's church in Elk county, where he remained four months. From St. Mary's he 
was transferred to Johnstown as assistant pastor of St. Joseph's church, and six 
months later was sent to Carrolltown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, where he 
remained nine months. From Carrolltown he was sent to Newark, New Jersey, where 
he served as assistant pastor of St. Mary's church for two years. At the end of 
that time he was transferred to Covington, Kentucky, where he was assistant 
pastor of St. Joseph's church for two years. From Covington he returned to Elk 
county, and, after one year spent as assistant pastor of St. Mary's church, he 
was sent to Breckinridge, Colorado, and served for two years as rector of 
various missions in Summit and Park counties. From this western field of labor 
he came in 1890 to Nicktown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, and has had charge of 
St. Nicholas church, as resident pastor, ever since. Soon after coming to St. 
Nicholas church, Father Trageser resolved upon many improvements, and with 
characteristic energy set about carrying out his projected work. The replacing 
of the old church structure with a new and commodious building was the first 
thing necessary. Patient but persevering, he labored for over five years for the 
accomplishment of this object, and is now erecting a handsome new brick church, 
fifty-four by one hundred feet in dimensions, which, when finished, will be an 
ornament and a credit to the parish.
     The congregation of St. Nicholas consists of one hundred families, and has 
prospered remarkably since Father Trageser has become resident pastor. From his 
eastern and western fields of labor Father Trageser came to St. Nicholas, with 
the reputation of being a popular and useful minister, and in his pastoral 
relations here has well sustained the many encomiums passed on him in this and 
other States. He has the love and confidence of those for whose spiritual 
welfare he is laboring so earnestly and zealously. His work has not disappointed 
the expectations of his most sanguine friends, while his usefulness in his 
present field of labor has enlisted public attention, and won for him the 
respect and good-will of the whole community. He is a courteous gentleman, a 
fine scholar and an able and progressive minister, whose future career of 
usefulness seems assured from past labors and present success.