Donald Fremont Yahne

YAHNE,DONALD F.

2016-12-09 (this may be interment date) 0
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****** Donald F Yahne Son United States Census, 1930 birth: 1922 South Dakota residence: 1930 Zillah, Yakima, Washington, United States father: Loyd J Yahne mother: Agnes E Yahne other: Harold L Yahne

Donald F Yahne United States World War II Army Enlistment Records Name Donald F Yahne Name (Original) YAHNE DONALD F Event Type Military Service Event Date 16 Dec 1940 Event Place Tacoma, Washington, United States Race White Citizenship Status citizen Birth Year 1922 Birthplace SOUTH DAKOTA Education Level 4 years of high school Civilian Occupation Semiskilled chauffeurs and drivers, bus, taxi, truck, and tractor Marital Status Single, without dependents Military Rank Private Army Branch Air Corps Army Component Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men) Source Reference Civil Life Serial Number 19017046

Obituary

Donald Fremont Yahne passed away in the early morning hours of Monday August 1, 2016 at The Ponderosa Assisted Living Facility in Yakima, WA.

Don was born in Mitchell, South Dakota on January 21, 1922 to James Fremont and Agnes Ethel Yahne. His young life was hard, his family moved from South Dakota to Oregon when he was 3 and then throughout his grade school years to find work as the depression continued to worsen. His family moved from Eugene, Oregon to Kamiah, Idaho and then on to Camas, Washington before settling in Outlook, Washington. He eventually moved from the lower valley to the Gleed area and attended Naches High School. During his senior year Don moved to Camas, Washington to live with extended family and get a job at the local mill in his efforts to help his family back in Gleed. He graduated from Camas High School in 1939.

In 1943 Don married Patricia McFadden and they had one child, a daughter, Donna Patricia. Donna was born in 1946 in Portland, Oregon. While in Portland Don was a motorcycle police officer. His riding days on the force came to an end after a motorcycle accident resulted in two broken legs.

Then in 1949 Don met Camilla Conery, they later married in 1950. They had no children together, however they did raise two of their five grandchildren from a young age, Don and Tracy Capps. Don worked and managed several gas stations in the Seattle and Bellevue areas in the early 1960’s. From 1965 to 1969 he managed the Shell station in Ellensburg. Then from 1969 to 1977, he owned and operated the Phillips 66 gas station in Yakima, on the corner of 3rd Ave. and Yakima Ave. In 1977 until his retirement in 1995, he managed The Truck Shop in which he handled automotive and truck purchases for Holtzinger Fruit.

Something Don found joy in was buying and selling cars. One of his favorite stories to tell was that of his first vehicle purchase, a motorcycle, which happened to break down on his way home from purchasing it, so he promptly sold it before he ever made it back home. He had a fondness for Cadillacs and drove a new 1955 Cadillac convertible and then in 1964 drove to Detroit just to pick up a new Cadillac.

In his younger days Don enjoyed traveling and dancing. He would set aside the liberty silver dollars that he collected from the gas station and make occasional trips to Las Vegas. He always regretted not holding on to those real silver dollars, but back then they were only worth a dollar he would say. The big trip of his life was traveling to England to see his granddaughter Tracy when she was stationed there in the Air Force in 1985.

Grandpa Don was stern at times with his kids and grandkids, a product of his upbringing and his hard childhood. However he always had a quick wit about him, even up until his last days when he shared with one of his nurses that he thought the end was near. His life was never really the same after Camilla passed away in 1997.

In his last years many people in Yakima came to know Don as the man who “winked” and had a sparkle in his eye at the end of The Ponderosa Assisted Living Facility commercials. We would like to thank the staff at The Ponderosa for taking such good care of Grandpa over the years.

Don is survived by his only daughter, Donna Krueger of Yakima, grandchildren Don Capps (Stephanie) of Yakima, Tracy Coleman (Kerry) of Las Vegas, NV, Candi Brody (Scott) of Martinsburg, West Virginia, Jesse Heinle (Kim) of Yakima, James Heinle (Kerrie) of Selah and 8 great-grandchildren.