Ronald C. Drazkowski

Ronald Charles Drazkowski, 84, of Fountain City, Wisconsin, died Monday, November 20^th, 2023 at Caretta Senior Living in Holmen, Wisconsin.

Ronald was born on May 25, 1939, in Buffalo Township to Joseph and Irene (Kugler) Drazkowski. “Ron” graduated from Cotter Senior High School in Winona, MN in 1957. He married Sandra Louise Baker on July 11, 1964, at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. They made their home in Bluff Siding, Wisconsin, where they raised their five boys. Ron and Sandy spent their lifetime practicing the hard work involved in daily operations and management of both Ron’s farming business and the Baker family shoe business.

Ron was raised on his family’s farm on Rooster Ridge in Bluff Siding. He was the oldest boy in a large family of 12 children. After graduation from high school, Ron joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as a Fire Protection Specialist with secret clearance at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. He served 4 years and was honorably discharged in 1961, heading back home to the farm.

After arriving home, Ron bought a small farm neighboring his parents, married, and settled down. The family lived on the farm on Rooster Ridge until 1970, when they moved to what became their permanent family home on County Road M in Bluff Siding. Ron and his five boys commuted daily the 2-mile drive to Rooster Ridge to work the farm, where Ron developed a successful beef cow-calf enterprise. He practiced strip cropping, used crop rotation, left crop residues, and implemented minimum tillage to conserve soil and water on the tillable portions of his acreage. In all, Ron was able to grow the farm to more than 750 acres of arable, pasture, and wooded lands during his 55 years of farming activity.

Away from the farm, Ron played fast pitch softball with the Bluff Siding George’s team while in his twenties and early thirties, with friends including the names Merchlewitz, Czaplewski, Maroushek, and Dureski. He later was involved for many years in the Fountain City bowling league.

Beginning in the late 1960’s Ron stepped up to help bring local leadership, gaining election to the Town of Buffalo Town Board, where he served his community for 24 consecutive years. Subsequently, he was elected to the Buffalo County Board for 10 years, culminating in a two-year term as the board’s chairman. He was also an active member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Church, serving as a Knights of Columbus member for many years.

In addition to his love of farm work, facing daily the blessings and challenges of the natural environment, and the self-directed nature of the farming business, Ron also celebrated each fall deer hunting season. Ron organized friends and relatives to party hunt the bountiful deer population on his wooded acreage every year for nearly 50 years. Deer week activities meant hard work hunting the steep lands, cutting up the group’s deer harvest, butchering hogs to mix with the venison, while celebrating the victories most nights of the deer hunting holiday.

Ronald was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; his wife’s parents John “Harold” and Rosemary Baker; his brothers John Drazkowski, Frank Drazkowski, and Michael Drazkowski; his sisters JoAnn (Jerry) Engelbert, and Paulette (Richard) Paulson. Ron is survived by his brothers Paul (Terry) Drazkowski, Philip (Catherine) Drazkowski, and Ralph (Peggy) Drazkowski; his sisters Shirley (Donald) Kegel, Kathy (Gary) Boyle, and Mary Jo (James) Boerboom; sons Steven (Laura) Drazkowski and daughter Kinsey; Thomas Drazkowski and children Tommi Jo, Haley Jo, Ronald and Joseph; Scott (Tracy) Drazkowski and children Gunner, Maverick and Tatum; Lee (Kim) Drazkowski and children Brett and Alaina; Christopher (Kristen) Drazkowski and daughters Paige and Jade.

Visitation will be held from 10 AM until the Mass of Christian Burial at 12 Noon on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main St., in Winona, MN. Following Mass, Ron and Sandy will both be laid to rest at Pieper’s Valley Cemetery. Lunch will be served beginning at 2 PM at George’s Lounge in Bluff Siding, Wisconsin.

Memorials may be directed to the Buffalo Township Park Fund.

Online condolences and memories may be left for Ronald’s family at www.watkowski-mulyck.com.

Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.