Arthur Frederick ‘Newt’ Draheim, Jr. was born Jan. 21, 1926 to Arthur F. (Sr.) and Hazel Howe Draheim. He died Sept. 13, 2015 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion, IA.
Judge Draheim served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II as an Intelligence Specialist.
His book “Ordinary Heroes” is a tribute to the many contributions of local residents during WWII.
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.
Source: ancestry.com
