Vera Arlene Yoder, 91, of Hesston, Kan., died peacefully Dec. 20, 2020, surrounded by her loving family. Vera was born in Protection on Dec. 17, 1929, the daughter of Christian & Clara (Baker) Beyler.
Vera graduated from Protection High School in 1947, attended Hesston College, and received her home economics degree from Goshen College in 1952. She taught at Windom High School for six years and was a paraprofessional at Inman Elementary and McPherson Elementary schools until her retirement in 2013. Vera was an amazing teacher, often saying, “Teaching is my calling.”
Vera was united in marriage to Dale Yoder on July 27, 1956. The couple dated via the U.S. Postal Service while Dale was serving in the U.S. Navy and became engaged while Dale was on a furlough but kept the engagement to themselves until he finished his service in the Navy. They celebrated their 64th anniversary this past summer with their family.
While Vera lived a full and active life, her greatest passion was her family, who will remember her as a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
She is survived by her husband, Dale; sons, Ron (Anne) Yoder of Silver Lake, Dean (Tanya) Yoder of Coldwater; daughters, Jan (Tony) Beckler of Beaver Crossing, Neb., Cinda (Bill) Cubbage of Hesston, and Judy (Kenton) Graber of Lecompton.
Vera’s 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren were blessed to know that “Grandma loves you, but Jesus loves you more!” Vera is also survived by her sister, Alta (Will) Rempel of Protection, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Christian and Clara Beyler; sister, Velma (Alvin) Weaver; brother, Victor (Elsie) Beyler; brother, Clayton (Gladys) Beyler; mother and father-in-law, Lawrence and Orpha Yoder; sister-in-law, Vesta (Bob) Giltner; and brother-in-law, Gene (Dorothy) Yoder.
Vera’s life was a living example of her strong Christian faith. She was a devoted child of God and instilled her faith and values in her family. Her family was guided by her mottos to live by, including, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Another often-heard by her children and grandchildren was “Many hands make light the work.”
Dale and Vera enjoyed their grandchildren’s sporting events and activities, attending as many as they could. They also were two of the most loyal Inman Teuton fans ever, being named Grand Marshall of the Inman parade in 2013. For seven years, Dale and Vera hosted the Inman first graders field trip to their farm in rural McPherson.
Vera loved to be outside. She enjoyed family camping trips, walks in the country or arboretum, church camping trips and even riding her bike until the ripe young age of her mid 80s. She was an avid gardener, with a special talent for raising beautiful red geraniums. She loved to bake cinnamon rolls and homemade bread for her family and friends. Vera’s list of creative talents included sewing ALL the clothing for her young family; then later in life sewing literally hundreds of angels, snowmen, and Santas to sell at craft shows. Scrapbooking, woodcarving, tole painting, ceramics, candle making and furniture refinishing were among her many talents.
Vera will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. There will be a private family burial service with a celebration of life memorial announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hesston College Education Fund in honor of Vera Yoder. Online condolences and fond memories can be left at omhfh.com.
