Duane Yoder

Duane Robert Yoder was born Friday, September 26, 1919 in Washington County near Kalona, Iowa the son of Lewis and Arvilla (Gingerich) Yoder. He served in CPS during WWII for over 4 years in Iowa, California and Wisconsin. While in Wisconsin he lived with the Ralph Gehring family and became part of their family. On June 22, 1945 he was united in marriage to Jeanette Miller at the First Congregational Church in Shiocton, Wisconsin. They lived and farmed in rural Kalona before moving to Independent Living at Pleasantview Home in 1998. He was a member of East Union Mennonite Church. Duane enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling, and working in his shop doing woodworking. Duane and Jeanette were involved for many years in the International Host Family Program of the University of Iowa. Through that program in 1977 Amer Lahamer became part of Duane and Jeanette's family. Amer and his wife Iman and children continue to be a part of their family. They were involved in the International Christian Youth Exchange Program and Kerstin Matsson from Sweden lived with them for 1 year. They also were involved in the Foster Care Program where they cared for 3 young girls at separate times. Duane died of cancer on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City at the age of 87 years.
Duane is survived by his wife Jeanette of Kalona; a daughter -- Karen Harvey and husband Bruce of Kalona; 2 sons -- Tom Yoder and wife Dori of Kalona; Chuck Yoder and fiancée Jan Hanson of Iowa City; 4 grandchildren -- Nicole Miller, Annika Gingerich, Jennifer Saner-Harvey, Brianna Yoder; 10 great grandchildren; a brother -- Keith E. Yoder and wife Della of Kalona; 2 sisters-in-law Nina Yoder of Kalona; Luella Miller of Green Bay, Wisconsin; honorary family member -- Amer Lahamer, Phd. and wife Iman and family of Berea, Kentucky; and special family friend Carolyn Schlindwein of Port Angeles, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, a grandson Robert Bruce Harvey; and 2 brothers -- Donald D. Yoder and Dale E. Yoder.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 9, 2007 at the East Union Mennonite Church in rural Kalona. Rev. Jay Miiller will officiate. Burial will be in the East Union Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. today at the Yoder-Powell Funeral Home in Kalona where the family will greet friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. A memorial fund has been established for East Union Mennonite Church and Pleasantview Home.
Messages and tributes may be sent to the family at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.