DRAHEIM, William 1941-2005

DRAHEIM, BENHART, ANDERSON

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/26/2009 at 17:51:02

#1:

William ‘Bill' Draheim

NORA SPRINGS — William "Bill" Draheim, 63, of Nora Springs died Tuesday (April 19, 2005) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, Iowa.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Lutheran Church, Northwood, Iowa, with the Rev. Wayne Hagen officiating.

Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Highway 65 South, Northwood, Iowa.

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, (641) 324-1121.
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William ‘Bill' Draheim

NORA SPRINGS, IOWA — William ‘Bill' Draheim, 63, of Nora Springs died on Tuesday (April 19, 2005) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Lutheran Church, Northwood, with the Rev. Wayne Hagen officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Rest Cemetery at a later date.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Highway 65 South, Northwood.

Bill was born on Sept. 10, 1941, in Mason City to Harold and Margaret (Anderson) Draheim. He graduated from Mason City High School in 1959.

He entered the United States Navy and was discharged in 1962. After the service, Bill worked for General Telephone and Electronics Co., continued his education at Cerritos Junior College, then worked for Leigh Portland Cement and then Libby Owens Ford.

Bill married the love of his life, Karen Benhart, on June 20, 1967, at the Little Brown Church. To this union two sons were born, Jeff and Jayson.

On Aug. 14, 1967, Bill began what would be his life long career with Interstate Power Company, later Alliant Energy. Bill started Draheim Electric, which later became Northwood Electric. He worked in the Northwood area for years and was transferred to Nora Springs as a service rep in 1994. Bill was known for his great communication skills and frequent coffee stops and visits along his route while reading meters. Everyone knew the guy in the orange truck.

Bill was a member of the First Lutheran Church, Northwood, the Northwood Volunteer Fire Department for 23 years, President of JC's, a Cub Scout master and a member of the River City Street Rods. He took great pride in being a council member and mayor pro-tem for the city of Nora Springs for five years. He loved taking Jeff and Jayson to the Street Rod Nationals in Red Rosey his 1932 Ford. Karen and Bill bought a cabin on German Lake near Waterville, Minn., in 1983, where they forged many friendships and fishing adventures. The past few years, Karen and Bill spent winters in Arizona. Bill's idea of a break was to be working on whatever needed fixing, one rarely saw him idle.

Left to cherish his memory and celebrate his life are his wife of 38 years, Karen of Nora Springs; sons, Jeff and wife, Erin, of Bloomington, Minn., and Jayson of Nora Springs; foster son, Khiet Tran and wife, Dawn, of San Bernadino, Calif.; grandchildren, Sam Wildes and Lacey Wildes of Bloomington, Minn.; great-granddaughter, Angel Andrews; Steven and Kimberly Tran of San Bernadino, Calif.; brother, Tom and wife, Sandy; sister Mary Postma and husband, Dick; many nieces and nephews; mother-in-law, Fern Benhart; special friend and Navy buddy, Ralph Haan and wife, Rita; very special friends Jaydin, Brandyn, Zach and Carter Smith and very special aunt Marion Urbatch.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Margaret, and father-in-law Lester Benhart.

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Northwood, (641) 324-1121.