Claudis Darwin 'Darky' Yonkers

Friday, December 4, 2015

Oct. 7, 1922 - Dec. 3, 2015

MAYWOOD, Neb. -- Claudis Darwin "Darky" Yonkers, 93, of Maywood died Dec. 3, 2015, in Trenton, Nebraska.

He was born Oct. 7, 1922, in Hayes County, Nebraska, son of Anthony Benjamin Yonkers and Lucy Delia (Brownell) Yonkers. Darky graduated school in Hayes county. He married Shirley Yonkers in Hayes Center on May 21, 1952. Darky worked as a truck driver for Farmers Co-Op.

He was a member of IOOF in Hayes Center, the Fraternal Order Elks in McCook and was a member of the Hayes Center and Curtis golf clubs. He played baseball at Hayes Center and also filled in for Maywood when needed. He went to Wichita, Kansas, in 1954 and played baseball against Goodland, Kansas, with major leaguers Billy Martin and Zac Monroe. They won the game by ten runs. Darky golfed until 2007. He also had a love for bowling.

Surviving are wife, Shirley Yonkers of Maywood; daughter, Millie (Dan) Corey of McCook, Nebraska, daughter, Christy (Jim) Helberg of Hamlet, Nebraska, and son, Mark Yonkers of Amherst, Nebraska; seven grandchildren, Mike (Judy) Cacy, Heath Brown, Dustin Mintling, Devon Helberg, Matthew (Taylor) Yonkers, Dirk Yonkers and Royall Yonkers; four great-grandchildren, Ian Brown, Rylie Barger, Ethan Cacy and Hope Cacy; brother, Carl (Muriel) Yonkers of Maywood; sister, Marlene Jorgenson of Gothenburg; brothers-in-law, Bert Houseman of North Platte, Nebraska, John (Pam) Garrett of North Platte and Jim Sailors; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Darky was preceded in death by his parents; grandson, Jeremiah Mintling; brother, George Yonkers; sisters, Maxine Nichols, Ceone Farmer, Lois Hurtwork, Joan Housman, and Dorothy Jean; brother-in-law Jerry Jorgenson; and sister-in-law, Patricia Sailors.

Visitation will be at Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel, Curtis, Nebraska, on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, 1 to 7 p.m. with the family present from 3 to 5 p.m.

Graveside services will be at a later date in the Hayes Center cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Frontier County Ambulance, P.O. Box 443, Curtis, NE 69025. To sign the online guest book, go to www.blasestrauser.com.

Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel in Curtis is in charge of arrangements.