Yoder, Lester David (1916-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Apr 30 p. 8

Birth date: 1916 May 4

text of obituary:

LESTER DAVID YODER

Lester David Yoder, 90, of Frytown, Iowa, died April 23, 2007, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City from complications of a fall. He was born May 4, 1916, to Jonas and Amelia (Yoder) Yoder in Iowa City, Iowa.

On July 6, 1941, he married Pauline Miller at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church of rural Kalona.

He attended the Oakland rural school. With his father, Lester, he founded Yoder Feed Mill near Frytown in 1934. Throughout the years the business grew to become a multifaceted agribusiness, from which he retired in 1992. He served on the boards of American Feed Manufacturer, Farmers Electric, Iowa Mennonite School, Iowa Mennonite Central Committee and the Kalona Historical Society. He was a lifelong member of Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church. He was active in various antique truck clubs and wrench collectors societies. He participated in the WMT Tractorcade for the last six years and was the oldest participant for the last two years.

Survivors include his wife, Pauline, of Frytown; four children, Loran Yoder and his wife, April, of Frytown, Joyce Yoder of Bethesda, Md., Shirley Yoder Bell and her husband, Gary, of Frytown and Calmar, and Damon Yoder and his wife, Jan, of Saint Charles, Ill.; and seven grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church. Burial was in Lower Deer Creek Cemetery.