Robert Francis Draper

Robert "Bob" Francis Draper, the son of Robert H. and Frances (Heick) Draper was born on January 28, 1946 at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, IL. He lived in Cherokee, IA, until 1951, when the family moved to a farm east of Sutherland, IA. He attended Peterson School until 1959, when they united with Brooke and Linn Grove. He graduated in 1963, from Sioux Valley High School at Linn Grove. He entered into the military in October of 1963, serving in the U.S. Navy. He attended bootcamp at Great Lakes, IL. On his 18th birthday, January 28, 1964, he received orders to Naval Weapons Evalution Facility at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. In March 1965, he got orders to the U.S.S. Hornet CVS-12 at Long Beach, CA. He made his first West PAC Cruise to Vietnam in May 1965. He was discharged on January 27, 1967. He went back into the Navy in February 1969. He  received orders to U.S.S. New Orleans LPH-11. He made his 2^nd tour of Vietnam on this ship. He was also a crewmember when the New Orleans LPH-11 picked up Apollo 14. From the New Orleans, he went to HT-8, a Helicopter Training Squadron in Pensacola, FL. He was discharged in 1972.

     On March 6, 1973, Bob married Mary Lange in Lennox, SD. To this union one son was born, Devin in 1979, and they adopted a daughter Destiny in 1983.

     After moving to Sutherland, Bob held several jobs over the years. He worked at the elevator, as a police officer,  at Taylor Refrigeration in Cherokee,  at Morton Buildings in Spencer,  and Diamond Vogel in Orange City from where he eventually retired. He enjoyed bowling in his younger years and playing drums and guitar in a dance band with his father and their friends.  Later in life, he liked to sit on his porch, watch the birds/squirrels, and share stories. Most of all he loved to spend time with his grandkids.

     Bob passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at his home in Sutherland at the age of 75 following a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his parents.

     Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 48 years, Mary of Sutherland, IA; his two children: Devin of Omaha, NE and Destiny Jorgensen (Kyle) of Cherokee, IA; 3 grandchildren: Madison, Mariah and Allen; two brothers: Dale Draper (Martha) of Marcus, IA and Donald Draper (Paula) of Columbus, OH; two sisters: Geraldine Bristow (Nic) of Sherrard, IL and Gloria Siverling (Jim) of Prospect, OH; other relatives and friends.

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