TWO RIVERS — A. E. Bocher, 69, of 2108 - 29th St., retired longtime traffic manager at the Hamilton Mfg. Co., for years a civic leader and a" co-founder of the Manitowoc - Two Rivers Traffic Club, died Saturday morning at Two Rivers Municipal Hospital.
In failing health in recent months, Mr. Bocher had been a patient at Veterans Administration Hospital at Wood, Wis., for five and a half weeks previously.
Mr. Bocher was born at Bonduel, Shawano County, Dec. 10, 1898, a son of the late Louis and Mary Roell Bocher. When he was a year old the family brought him to Gillett, Wis., from where he was graduated from the high school. After serving overseas for two years in World War I, he went to Milwaukee to train for traffic managership in industry.

Hamilton Employee
Associated with the Hamilton firm for 38 years, Mr. Bocher, had been one of the community's most active individuals over the years prior to his retirement. He came to the Hamilton firm in 1925 after serving for a year in the Traffic Dept. of the Green Bay Association of Commerce. He became Hamilton's assistant traffic manager in assisting in establishing the department.
With I. W. Whitaker, retired Mirro Aluminum Co. traffic manager, Mr. Bocher was responsible for the formation of the Manitowoc-Two-Rivers Traffic Club in 1938, serving both as vice president and president for a number of years. He was honored by the club in 1964 on its 25th birthday.
Mr. Bocher's other affiliations included membership on the Traffic Committee of the Wisconsin Manufacturers Assn., having been a president and chairman of numerous committees, and the Traffic Committee of the American Home Laundry Mfg. Assn. He was also a former secretary and treasurer of the National Furniture Traffic Conference.
In civic affairs, Mr. Bocher 'was on the fire and police commission for 20 years, beginning and ending his service as its president. For two terms he was president of the Joseph Koenig Elementary School PTA. During World War II, he served as Two Rivers' administrator of the War Transportation Committee and also was active on the former Two Rivers Harbor and Transportation Commission. Also, he was chairman of the Two Rivers Branch of the American Red Cross of Manitowoc County as well as serving on the Two Rivers Civil Defense Council.
When a member of the Parade Committee of the Two Rivers Centennial in July of 1936,Mr. Bocher was instrumental in having a truck load of snow in the parade. From this stemmed the annual Snow Festival, first sponsored by the Robert E. Burns Post 165, American Legion.

Church Leader
A charter member of Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mr. Bocher was a council member
and served on the Building Committee. He was a longtime member of Eleven Gold Star Post 1248, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Fraternally, he had been affiliated for years with Two Rivers Lodge No. 200, F and A.M.
Surviving are his wife, the former Agnes Schmeichel of Two Rivers, a school teacher, whom he married at Two Rivers June 25, 1927; two daughters, Mrs. John G. (Beryl) Mulhern of Glendale and Mrs. Patrick (Bonnie) Wichlacz of Two Rivers; a son, Bill, at home; three sisters, Mrs. John Trochell of Milwaukee, Mrs. Ray Smith of Green Bay and Mrs. C. H. Nelson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; a brother, Otto of Hickory, N.C., and two grandchildren, Wayde and Kaela Mulhern.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Calvary Evangelical Church, The Rev. Paul W. Funk officiating.
Friends may call at Deja and Martin Funeral Chapels after 3 p.m. Monday until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday when the casket will be taken to the church where the body will lie in state until the time of services.