John A Yonker

John Allan Yonker, 85, Bismarck, died November 25, 2011, at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, Bismarck. Cremation has taken place. Friends and family are invited to a remembrance gathering to celebrate John's life on Thursday, December 15, from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 am Friday, December 16, at St. George's Episcopal Church, 601 North 4th St, with Rev. Michael Horn officiating. Interment will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. John was born in Garrison, ND, on November 2, 1926, to Roy and Helen Minehan Yonker. He had two brothers, Roy and Harlan and a sister, Evelyn Bills. As a kid, he loved to go down to the Missouri River each spring and watch the ice break-up and move out. That was before the Garrison Dam was built. Catching a ride on the ferry as it crossed the Missouri to pick up cars was also a big thrill. John lived in Garrison until he graduated from high school. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1944 and was in pilot training, but the war ended before he completed his training to receive his wings. He received his BS degree from Minot State College which he attended from 1946-1949. After graduation, he started his teaching career at Bismarck High School. He taught at Wachter Elementary School and was principal at Saxvik Elementary School . He received his MS degree from UND. He became a principal at Hughes Junior High School in 1966, and remained there until his retirement in 1991. John received the Eagle Scout award as a senior in high school and in Bismarck as scout master of troop #2 for eight years. He served as superintendent of his church Sunday school for ten years. He was a member of the Kiwanis club, Elks club, American Legion club, El Zagel Shriners, the Westerners and the Flickertail Woodcarvers. His school, Hughes Jr. High, was awarded the "Excellence in Education Award" in 1984 from the US Office of Education. John was selected as the North Dakota Secondary Principal of the year in 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Secondary School Principals at Reston, VA, and served from 1986-1990. In 1950 John joined the North Dakota Army National Guard as an enlisted man and rose through the ranks until his retirement in 1983 as a Colonel. He held various staff and command assignments including Commander, 164th Engineer Battalion and the Group. On April 27, 1948, John married Irene Palmberg in Velva, ND. They were blessed with three daughters, Marci, Barbara, and Jill, who were raised in Bismarck. John married Clara Sherman on October 22, 1993, and spent winters in Arizona. John enjoyed many hobbies such as woodcarving both in Bismarck and Arizona. He was an avid photographer and golfer, getting a hole-in-one in 2002. He was a wonderful dancer. He sang with the El Zagel Plainsmen and spent summers pontooning on the Missouri River with his many friends and family. John is survived by his loving wife, Clara, Bismarck; daughters, Marci Yonker Ketterling, her children, Katie, John, and Molly of Elgin; Jill and Bob Wiese, Washburn, and their children, Ashley, Johnson City, TN, and Kayla, Minneapolis, MN; Barbara's husband, Tim Wild, of Seattle, WA, and their children, Jackson, Portland, OR, and Christopher, Brooklyn, NY. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Irene in 1991; his siblings; and his daughter, Barbara Wild in 2002. Memorials may be given to St. George's Episcopal Church, Elks Club, ND Veterans Cemetery Foundation, 1925 46th St, Mandan, ND 58554-9943, and especially during this time of the year to Wreaths Across America, a project sponsored by the Bismarck Civic Air Patrol Squadron to place a wreath on each veterans grave. Gifts can be mailed to Wreaths Across America, c/o Bismarck Civil Air Patrol Squadron, PO Box 2104, Bismarck, ND 58502-2104.

John A Yonker

November 2, 1926 - November 25, 2011