David Wayne Yakey

1947 - 2019

David Wayne Yakey

Born: August 26, 1947; in Decatur, IL

Died: October 7, 2019; in Kirkland, IL

David Wayne Yakey, 72, of Kirkland, Illinois, died Monday, October 7, 2019, in the comfort of his own home.

David was born August 26, 1947, in Decatur, Illinois, the son of David Yakey Jr. and Marjorie (Clemons) Yakey. He was a graduate of Belvidere High School in 1965. He married Linda Morris on July 31, 1966; she predeceased him Sept. 10, 1986. On November 21, 1987, David married Barbara (Murphy) Norris.

David loved life on the farm. In his youth, he was a member of 4H and he showed cattle at the county fairs. The Yakey family operated a Guernsey Dairy Farm in Caledonia, Illinois from 1959-1972. The family then transitioned from dairy to grain farming and moved to their current farm in Kirkland, Illinois. This is where David began his hobby of collecting antique tractors and snowmobiles.

David was a competitor at heart. He spent many years bowling and competed in multiple events across the nation. David pulled tractors for over 50 years and was a member of several tractor pulling organizations, the most recent being the Illini State Pullers. He served as a superintendent of tractor pulls for the Boone County Fair.

One of David's favorite things was to go "Up North" to their cabin in St. Germain, Wisconsin. He loved spending time with family and friends while boating on the lake, riding Yamaha snowmobiles and going out to his favorite restaurants. David was a very generous man who shared what he had with others. His family always felt his love through his actions. He supported his wife, kids, and grandkids in everything that they did.

David is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Steve (Melissa) Norris, Jason (JoAnn) Yakey, Heather (Joe) Miller, Jaime (Jason) Hughes and Jennifer Yakey; grandchildren, Rylan, Isabella, Kainon, Adeline, Jalyn, Jenna, Josie, Max, Monika, Taylor, Autumn and Davin; siblings, Janet Hite, Carolyn (Gilbert) Perez and Sharon (Nick) Dunbar; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitations will be from 3-8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 10, at Quiram Kirkland Chapel, 309 South Fifth St., Kirkland, as well as 10-11:00 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church, 316 North Sycamore Street, Genoa. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 11, 2019, at First Baptist Church. Burial will follow at South Grove Cemetery, Kirkland. There will be a luncheon to follow at First Baptist Church. Arrangements are by Olson Funeral & Cremation Services, Quiram Chapels; 815-522-3563. Visit www.olsonfh.com to share a memory or leave a condolence.