Dorla Dean (Bothel) Drahn, 92, died November 3, 2021 at her home in Monona, Iowa. Dorla was born October 1, 1929 to Earl and Irene (Havlicek) Bothel in Monona, Iowa. She was a Monona High School graduate of the class of 1947. She became a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Monona.
Dorla moved to Milwaukee and worked as a grocery clerk for a time, but decided she wasn’t a big city girl. Upon her return to the Monona area, she became employed at the button factory in McGregor, making buttons from oyster shells. Her next employer was the Monona Leader newspaper, where she worked as a typesetter.
On July 6, 1950, she married Robert Drahn. Two daughters, Janis and Cheryl, were born to this union. Bob and Dorla lived at the farm of Bob’s uncle, Glendor Drahn until 1955, when they purchased the farm on Suttle Creek.
Dorla enjoyed life on the farm, by gardening, canning, and caring for the yard and children. She was a great cook, making hearty meals and delicious apple and blueberry desserts. She excelled at embroidery and was an accomplished seamstress, sewing school clothes for the girls. Dorla played cards with the neighborhood ladies club and with Bob in the couples’ card club. She was an avid reader and was a steady patron of the Monona Library for decades. One of the greatest sorrows of her life was losing her eyesight due to macular degeneration in her later years.
Dorla Drahn is survived by her daughters, Jan (Kurt) von Meyer of Onalaska, Wisconsin and Cheryl Smola of Monona; her sister, Ruth Gerndt of McGregor; her sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Drahn of seventy years; parents, Earl and Irene Bothel; step-mother, Lorraine; step-sister, Beverly Sawvell; brothers, Roger, Curt, Earl Jr. and Gene in infancy and sons-in-law, John Smola and Doug Ihde.
At Dorla’s request, no public services are being held. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Murphy Helwig Library, 111 N. Page St., Monona, IA 52159.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Monona, Iowa is helping the family with the arrangements.