William "Bill" J. Drees, 74, of Clarkson, Nebraska, died Thursday, May 6, 2021, at his home in Clarkson.

Mass of Christian Burial, with military honors, will be on Monday, May 24 at 6:00 PM, at SS Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church with Fr. Matthew Gutowski celebrating the Mass. Private family interment will be in Iowa at a later date. Visitation will be on Monday from 4:00 - 6:00 PM, just prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Clarkson Opera House or the Clarkson Christian Daycare.

William "Bill" J. Drees was born February 16, 1947, in Manchester, Iowa, to Reynold and Marian (Voss) Drees. He graduated from Manchester High School and on September 28, 1965, enlisted in the United States Navy. He was honorably discharged on September 24, 1969. Upon his return from military duty, Bill worked with his father on the family farm. In 1976, Bill set out on his own, moving to Clarkson, Nebraska, where he worked on the Malena farms. He later ran the Brass Rail and during the mid-1990's, went to work for Holiday Retirement Homes in maintenance. Bill later started his own painting business in Clarkson, retiring in 2020 after 15 years.

After Bill's first marriage ended in divorce, he was reunited with an old high school friend, Roxana "Roxy" Duncan Boyd. The couple were married on October 16, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Bill enjoyed fast pitch baseball, pool, golf, bowling, watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Iowa Hawkeyes, and was an avid Atlanta Braves fan.

Bill is survived by:
Wife – Roxy Drees of Clarkson, NE
Son – Bart (Deadra) Drees of Henderson, NV
Daughter – Ranelle (special friend – Ron Baumback) Drees of Denver, CO
Daughter – Karina (Todd) Quelet of Washington, D.C.
Grandchildren – Max and Mason Quelet
Son – Jim (Kris) Boyd of Manchester, IA
Son – Joe (JoeyLynn) Boyd of Manchester, IA
Five Grandchildren
One Great Grandchild
Sister - Carol Behnken of Marion, IA
Sister – Paula (Chuck) Zangerle of Manchester, IA
Sister – Margaret Nueton of Manchester, IA
Brother – Carl Drees of Des Moines, IA
Several nieces and nephews

Bill was preceded in death by:
Father – Reynold Drees
Mother – Marian Drees Oehler
Daughter – Tirsa Drees
Brothers – Dan, Larry, and Robert Drees

Service Folder Information
One or the other must leave.
One or the other must stay.
One or the other must grieve.
That is Forever the way.
That is the vow that was sworn.
Faithful 'til death do us part.
Braving what had to be borne.
Hiding the ache in the heart.
One, howsoever adored.
First must be summoned away.
That is the will of the Lord
One or the other must stay.



In Loving Memory Of

William "Bill" Drees

Born
Sunday, February 16, 1947
Manchester, Iowa

Entered Into Rest
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Clarkson, Nebraska

Celebration of Life Service
Monday, May 24, 2021 6:00 PM
SS Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church
Clarkson, Nebraska

Celebrant
Father Matthew Gutowski

Music
Annette Baumert – organist
Kathy Baumert – cantor

Private Family Interment

Military Honors
American Legion Sucha Post 302