Raymond Drewelow, 64

Raymond Drewelow, age 64 of New Hampton, died Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City. 
Funeral service were held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at First Baptist Church in Charles City, with the Rev. Matthew Howlett celebrating the service. 
Interment followed at the New Hampton City Cemetery. 
Friends greeted the family one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. 
Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory has been entrusted with Raymond’s funeral arrangements. 
Raymond was born on June 9, 1956, to Julius Raymond and Sue C. (Crooks) in New Hampton. He was the oldest of the couple’s four children and grew up in New Hampton. 
He attended schools in New Hampton and was a member of the Class of 1975 at New Hampton High School. Growing up, he liked the outdoors and he liked cars; he was especially proud of his first car, a Camaro. 
After high school, he worked several jobs, and in 1977, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving his country for three years of active service and three years with the Navy Reserves. He was a radar control operator on the original crew of the USS Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that, during Drewelow’s service, was deployed in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. 
Before he went into the Navy, Ray had worked part time for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and after his discharge from the Navy, he worked as a full-time soil conservationist technician. He worked at a variety of NRCS offices around the state, he worked for the NRCS for 33 years. 
Ray never married, yet he was first and foremost a family man. He loved his parents, siblings and enjoyed spending time with his nephews and niece. He truly was a great uncle. 
He was laid back, and although some might have seen him as quiet and reserved, once he got to know you, he would flash that quick, sarcastic wit and enjoyed back-and-forth teasing. After retiring from the NRCS, he worked at Kwik Star in New Hampton. 
Ray enjoyed nature, animals and photography, and he was an active member of the churches he attended. He grew up in the old First Baptist Church in New Hampton, was a member of other churches as his NRCS work took him around Iowa and most recently belonged to the First Baptist Church in Charles City. Whenever his church needed something, Ray was the first to answer the call. 
His death from COVID-19 has left his family shocked and devastated, but they also know that his deep faith means Ray is at peace and reunited with Jesus today. 
Ray is survived by his father, Julius “Bud” Drewelow of New Hampton; one sister, Rhonda (Jon) Knight of Waterloo; one brother, Richard (Audrey) Drewelow of New Hampton; two nephews, Kyle Knight of Waterloo, and RJ Drewelow of New Hampton; two nieces, Traci (Chris) Diel of New Hampton, and Marique Ruth of Alta Vista; and one great-nephew Cole Andringa of Alta Vista. 
He was preceded in death by one sister, Rita in infancy; his mother, Sue Drewelow; and one nephew, Dustin Ruth.