Judge Newt Draheim passed away on Sunday, September 13, 2015 in his beloved
hometown of Clarion, Iowa. He was born in Clarion on January 21, 1926; the
fourth child of Arthur and Hazel (Howe) Draheim. He is survived by his wife of
sixty-four years, Rose Marie; son, Ned Draheim (Beth); daughter, Sara Treiser
(Richard); grandchildren: Clint (Andrea); Jenna Froehlich (OJ); Paige; Laura;
two step-grandsons: Michael and Sean Treiser; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at the Ewing Funeral Home; 1801 Central Avenue East;
Clarion, Iowa 50525 on Thursday, September 17, 2015, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. A
funeral service will be conducted on Friday, September 18, 2015, at 10:30 a.m.
at the United Church of Christ Congregational; 115 3rd Avenue Northwest; Clarion
with Pastor Bill Kem officiating, to be followed by the interment at the
Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served during World War II as an
Intelligence Specialist. After being honorably discharged, he received a B.A.
degree from Iowa State Teacher's College now known as University of Northern
Iowa, where he met Rose Marie Johnson (of Corwith, Iowa). They were married in
December of 1951.
He graduated from Drake Law School in 1954 and then served two consecutive terms
as the Wright County Attorney. Afterward, he joined the law firm of Archerd &
Birdsall (later Archerd & Draheim). He practiced law for thirteen years. In
1970, he was appointed to the Iowa District Court by Governor Robert Ray. His
thirty-four year career in the judiciary included eight years as Chief Judge of
the Second Judicial District.
Judge Draheim had great respect for the judicial process and was honored to have
had the opportunity to serve the public in that capacity. He also felt a strong
sense of patriotism to his country and had the highest regard for all those who
served in our nation's military, particularly his fellow WWII veterans. Judge
Draheim was pleased to participate in one of the Honor Flights to Washington,
D.C. sponsored by Hy-Vee Supermarkets.
For many years during his retirement, Judge Draheim was a guest columnist for
the Wright County Monitor and the Eagle Grove Eagle, writing articles featuring
true stories of the many contributions of local residents during WWII as well as
historical anecdotes of Wright County. His articles on WWII were collected and
published in 2009 in his book Ordinary Heroes. Judge Draheim enjoyed using his
public speaking abilities as a lay minister; at local civic events; and also
occasionally in theater productions.
Judge Draheim was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Hazel Draheim; his
sisters, Melvene Draheim Hardee and Dorothy Draheim; and his brother, Kirk
Draheim.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Clarion Public
Library; 302 N. Main Street; Clarion, Iowa 50525 (www.clarion.lib.ia.us) or to
the American Legion Post 289; Clarion, Iowa.