William Estel (Bill) Yokeley (1931-1995)       

Saline County, Missouri

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• Facts

• Father - Estel (Pete) Yokeley

• Mother - Bonnie Murle Nall Yokeley Wood

• Sister - Betty Murle Yokeley Harris

• Brother - Dongene Yokeley

• Wife - Harue Ui

• Son -  Danny

• Son -  Donald

• Son -  Dennis

Billy - 3 months old with
Dad, Pete Yokeley

Siblings - Betty (3 years)
& Billy (2 years)

Bill & Dongene's families visiting their Mother, Bonnie

Yokeley Women - Bill's wife, Harue Ui second from the left

Bill's son, Dennis Yokeley

Bill & Dongene Yokeley with wives visiting their Father, Estel (Pete) & his wife, Toots

Bill & Harue Yokeley
Gravestone in Texas where Harue moved
after Bill passed away in Florida

William Estel (Bill) Yokeley

"Bill was born in Marshall, Missouri. Bill was highly intelligent, a born leader, extremely outgoing and liked by everyone, young and old.  Bill could always find work.  I got all my jobs through Bill.  When someone got fired, or left a job for some other reason, Bill would say, "My brother can do that."  Bill always looked after me; he would not let anyone take advantage of me.  Bill was a straight-A student. When he was 17 he quit school, which broke my mother's heart.  You had to be 18 to join the military or have a letter of consent from a parent.  I think signing that letter was the hardest thing my mother ever had to do in her life.  She wanted all of her kids to graduate high school. 

Bill joined the Air Force, received technical training for jet airplane mechanic.  After successfully completing his training he got orders for Japan.  Bill married a Japanese woman name Harue, pronounced Har-la-way. I always assumed they got married in Japan. I do know the infrequent times he was in the States he was stationed in Texas.

They had three boys named Danny, Donald, and Dennis.  Bill loved his family and taught his boys hunting, fishing, a variety of sports, which he always tried to attend.  He taught them carpentry, building one house and an addition on another.  All three boys were always on the Honor Roll.  All three graduated from colleges and now all have excellent jobs and families of their own.  Bill would have stayed longer in the Air Force but couldn't pass the physical.  A hallmark of his career was his promotion to the super grads on the Air Force first go around.

Bill and family moved to Marshall, MO after his discharge.  He found work as a custodian for a government building in Sedalia, MO.  A year or two later Bill decided he wanted to move down to Florida and become a commercial fisherman.  That job didn't last long as he was losing money.  He then passed the postal test and was hired as a postal carrier.  Bill loved that job.  I can remember when we were kids him saying he would like to be a postman. 

Bill was a morning person, his wife would always hear him in the kitchen but one morning she didn't hear him, she went to  check on him and found he had died in his sleep.  Bill was well liked and a hard worker.  His co-workers honored him by each coming by after they completed their routes and offering their condolence. Bill died in Florida, was cremated there, however, his wife moved to Texas to live in the same town with her oldest son, Donald and his family."

Letter and photos from Dongene Yokeley 23 November 2010 and email 21 December 2010. Thank you!