Mary Irene Traeger
Co-founder of BUILD was active in her parish and served as an advocate for kids in the child welfare system
Mary Irene Traeger, who was among the founders and a treasurer of the community organizing group Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, died of cancer April 11 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. She was 84 and had lived in Gardenville. Born in Baltimore and raised on Montford Avenue, she was the daughter of Lambert Ringsdorf, a printing compositor for The Baltimore Sun, and Amelia Czarnowsky, a homemaker.
She attended St. Catherine of Siena School and was a 1951 graduate of Seton High School, where she played basketball. She later worked in Seton’s English and social studies departments.
She was also active in her Roman Catholic parish, St. Anthony of Padua in Gardenville. In 1972 she became an administrative assistant to its pastor and the parish staff.
In 1977, she became involved in a sponsoring committee for BUILD. She joined the Rev. Vernon Dobson of Union Baptist Church, the Rev. Wendell Phillips of the Heritage United Church of Christ, Monsignor Clare O’Dwyer of St. Matthew Church and the Rev. Anthony Dziwalski of her parish in working with the group.
Mrs. Traeger became a vice president of the citywide organization as well as chairwoman of the parish branch of BUILD in 1977. She was later the group’s treasurer.
“She was an early stalwart of BUILD,” said Arnold Graf, a former lead organizer of the organization who lives in Ellicott City. “She was our treasurer, and she was faithful at it. She was one of those who made things happen when we were a small core of people.”
“She worked with the forgotten neighborhoods,” said a daughter, Victoria Hageman of College Park. “She traveled with others to these spots to teach leadership skills to members who could then work for the rights of their community and the parishes there. These leadership qualities helped them have a seat at the table with the mayor and City Council of Baltimore to make their neighborhoods’ needs be heard.
“She liked the bonding of differing religious groups to work to one goal,” said her daughter.
Mrs. Traeger joined U.S. Fidelity and Gurantee Co. in downtown Baltimore and became an administrative assistant at the insurance firm. She worked in its human resources section.
She and her husband, Edward Milton Traeger Jr., a retired building manager, moved to Ellijay, Ga., in 1996, where they built a mountainside home. She became a court- appointed special advocate for CASA of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit.
“Irene completed the training and background prerequisites in 2004 and was sworn in as an officer of the court,” Dianne Scoggins, CASA director, said in an email. “She was a fervent advocate for children caught up in the child welfare system.
“Her well-written recommendations to the courts in the best interest of the children she represented helped them heal from the trauma they had endured, and assured them a life of safety and nurturing,” said Ms. Scoggins. “Mrs. Traeger gave her all as a CASA volunteer so vulnerable children had a chance for a better life,” she said. “We were blessed by her dedication and willingness to give back to her community.”
Mrs. Traeger was also a seamstress and still-life painter.
“She had five girls, and she would make five winter coats in different colors,” said another daughter, Susan Rose of Baltimore. “She was well known at Blank’s and Shocket’s. She taught us all to sew. She was so patient.”
She also made papier-mache doll bodies, then dressed the dolls. Later in life, she assisted her neighbors in quilting projects and made altar linens for her church.
Mrs. Traeger and her husband returned to Baltimore in 2015.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. June 10 at St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Chapel, 3320 Benson Ave.
In addition to her daughters and her husband of nearly 65 years, she is survived by three sons, Joseph Traeger of Westminster, Raymond Traeger of Baltimore and Edward Traeger of Mayfield, Ky.; three other daughters, Catherine Traeger of Ellijay Ga., Mary Steiner of Brookeville and Elaine Platton of Philadelphia; a brother, Herbert Ringsdorf of Niceville, Fla.; 13 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.