Retired Covenant pastor Lowell Drotts passed away on July 14, 2025, in Deer Park, Illinois. He was 90.
Lowell Vernoy Drotts was born to parents David and Florence Drotts on November 9, 1934, on a family farm near Viking, Minnesota. He would later tell people it was a great gift to have been born into a loving and caring family with a strong faith and commitment to the Covenant Church. The middle child of five, Lowell graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, attended what at that time was North Park Junior College in Chicago, Illinois, then graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1956 with a degree in history. He returned to North Park for seminary, earning a bachelor of divinity degree in 1960, then a master of theology degree with combined studies at the Lutheran School of Theology and Garrett Theological Seminary. After seminary, Lowell took a position as teacher of Bible at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. He was ordained by the Evangelical Covenant Church in June of 1962, at the Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.
Lowell married Marilyn Jean Johnston on October 7, 1961. Through their union Lowell and Marilyn were blessed with three children: Daniel, Stephen, and Cindy Lynn. After marriage, they moved to Batavia, Illinois, for Lowell’s first pastorate in the Evangelical Covenant Church. They always felt blessed by the warm, loving embrace of that first church they served together. They served Covenant congregations in Evanston and Chicago (Beverly), Illinois, and in Attleboro, Massachusetts. They also served a Methodist church in East Greenwivh, Rhode Island. The last eight years before retirement he served as chaplain of Covenant Village of Northbrook, Illinois.
Lowell served on the Commission on Covenant History and as chair of the Central Conference board, East Coast Conference Ministerium, and the East Coast Conference New Church Development Commission. He served on various boards in the communities where he lived.
In retirement, Lowell and Marilyn made their home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After 51 years together, Marilyn passed away in 2012.
In 2019 Lowell married Louise Haine of Richmond, Virginia; they separated in December 2023, after which he moved first to Trailer Estates in Bradenton, Florida, then to Deer Park, Illinois, to be closer to family.
Lowell touched many lives as a devoted pastor, father, grandfather, and friend. He felt blessed, and he loved his family, the Covenant Church, and North Park University and Seminary.
Lowell was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn Drotts, as well as his siblings Evonne Peterson Stenberg, Wallace Drotts, and Carol Woetzel.
He is survived by his wife Louise Haine, sister Phyllis Linder, and his three children, Daniel (April) of Goldsboro, North Carolina; Stephen (Tracey) of Keene, New Hampshire; and Cindy Lynn Hartmann (Jon) of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois; along with seven grandchildren: Stephanie, Samantha, Abigail, Cecelia, Jake, Juliana, and Justin.
A private memorial gathering will be held at a later date at Cape Cod Covenant Church in Brewster, Massachusetts. Memorial gifts can be given in his name to North Park University.
Peace be to his memory.
