Thomas Charles Draheim

Thomas (Tom) Charles Draheim, 74, of Rockwell, passed away surrounded by his family, Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa. Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 2, 2017 at St. Peters Lutheran Church, 502 2nd St S, Rockwell, Iowa, with Full Military Honors. Those attending should come in casual attire for that would be what Tom would want.

Thomas (Tom) Charles Draheim was born on January 21, 1943, in Mason City, Iowa, the son of Harold A and Margaret L (Andersen) Draheim. Tom graduated from Mason City High School in 1961. After High School he owned and operated a Service Station a few blocks from his parents home.

August 20th 1961, he was united in marriage to Urada (Sandy) Sandell, in the Synod Lutheran Church in Lake Mills, Iowa. After the marriage he worked for, Forester Trailer in Forest City and the Culligan Soft Water in Mason City. In 1963, they purchased some land South of Mason City which was part of Owens Grove. It was then he started to engage in farming something that was his passion, so he started raising pure breed hogs. In 1968 during the Vietnam drafted he was called up for active duty (April 1968) and ended up in Fort Bliss, Texas for Basic training in the Army. Once that was done Tom stayed there for training with United Stated Army Defense Intelligence, training in White Sands, New Mexico. From there he was sent to Germany for the rest of his duty that ended in March 1970. It was there when is daughter Sue Ann was born in, Frankfurt, West Germany.

After Tom completed his tour of active duty, he and his father started building each others homes from the bottom up on the land that was purchased in the 60's. Both were excellent wood worker. Then he returned to his job he had for Culligan Soft Water prior to when he was called up for active duty. But in September 1975 he was hurt in industrial accident at Culligan Soft Water that disabled him, when he was able he started his Small Engine Shop where he sold and repaired chain saws and sold wood burning stoves. Then in May 1979 they sold the acreage in Owen township and purchased more land in Bath Township where he had more land to grow crops raise hogs farrow to finish. In 1990 he rented the land out and started crafting with his wife and built beautiful Oak, walnut and pine shelves, benches and cutouts for his wife that she painted. That was the beginning where they started to travel and do craft shows that took them to a lot of large Craft shows in Eastern States of United States, from 1990 to 2000.

Tom enjoyed visiting with people no one was a stranger. He also enjoyed fishing an was a Walleye fisherman and went on several fishing trips with friends and times with his wife., he was a great fan of the Green Bay Packers and Iowa Hawkeyes.

Survivors include his wife, Urada (Sandy) Draheim, daughter Sue Ann Draheim-Hamilton (Jeff) and his grandson, Spencer Nelson, mother-in-law Eleanor Miller Lake Mills, Iowa, brother-in-law David Sandell,(Mary) Whittemore, Don Miller Lake Mills, Dick Postma Cedar Rapid, sister-in-law Darlene Tesdahl Northwood, Karen Draheim German Lake, Minnesota and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law, Clarence Sandell, step-father-in law, Harold Miller, his brother William Draheim; sister, Mary Postma and a brother-in-law, Clifford Tesdahl .