Obituary of George Henry Yokel

George Henry Yokel, Jr. Funeral services for George Henry Yokel, Jr. of Elsberry, MO will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at Star Hope Baptist Church near Elsberry. Rev. Allen Calkins, church pastor, will officiate with burial in Elsberry City Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Dale Whittaker, Kenny Keele, Bob DeGeare, Tracey Jones, Danny VomBey, and Donnie Kinsler. Mr. Yokel, 76, passed away early Friday morning, October 22, 2010 at the Elsberry Health Care Center in Elsberry. Born October 20, 1934 in Chesterfield, MO he was the son of George Henry, Sr. and Florence Kathryn Litzinger Yokel. He served his country in the United States Army Reserves from June 30, 1957 until being honorably discharged on December 20, 1957. He was united in marriage on June 1, 1957 in Poplar Bluff, MO to Coletta Keele. He worked for many years as a forklift driver for Wagner Electric and McDonnell-Douglas. He was a member of the IAM Local #837 and the NRA. He was a member of the Star Hope Baptist Church in Elsberry. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing and shared his love of the outdoors by mentoring numerous youth. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Sr. and Florence Yokel, one niece, Sherry Gilbreth and a sister-in-law, Gloria Yokel Survivors include his beloved wife of 53 years, Coletta Yokel of Elsberry; three brothers: Bill Yokel and his wife, Pat, of Elsberry, Melvin Yokel of Desloge, MO and Gary Yokel and his wife, Glenda, of Greenville, MO; one sister, Yvonne Shields and her husband, Jack, of Texas; four sisters-in-law: Martha Westfall of Troy, IL; Virginia Parker, Freida Middleton and Shirley Keele, all of Greenville, MO; two brothers-in-law: Eugene Keele and his wife, Naomi, of Greenville, MO and Doyle Keele and his wife, Rosie, of Overland, MO; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends and neighbors. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 25, 2010 at Carter-Ricks Funeral Home in Elsberry, MO. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Homes, 107 South Fifth Street; Elsberry, MO 63343. Online condolences may be made at www.carterricksfuneralhome.com.