D. Paul Yoder

A funeral service for D. Paul Yoder, 91, of Goshen, IN., formerly of Kalona, will be held Monday, December 4, 2017, at 10:30 AM at the Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church with Pastor Don Patterson officiating. Burial will follow at the Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church on Sunday, December 3, 2017, from 2 – 8 PM with the family present from 2 – 5 and 6 – 8 PM- D. Paul passed away Wednesday, November 29, 2017, at the Greencroft Retirement Community in Goshen, IN. The Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Daniel  Paul Yoder was born May 25, 1926, on his parent's farm in rural Kalona, IA. He was the son of Daniel M and Nancy L. (Hershberger) Yoder.   He attended West Lincoln School near Kalona.

D. Paul was a member of the Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church, Washington Township Optimist, Habitat for Humanity and Mennonite Disaster Service.

For 40 years he was employed at Yoder Feeds.  After retirement, he enjoyed gardening, traveling, visiting family, and making pop can Christmas trees.  He also was a tour bus driver for the Kalona By-Way tours for a number of years.

D. Paul loved to tell stories about his growing up years. Most of those stories detailed farm work like milking the cows, tilling the fields, harvesting the crops, digging out thistles, driving the draft horses and eventually the purchase of farm machinery.

He married Illa Mae Erb on December 7, 1947 and settled into a life of work and raising children. Their first home was on a turkey farm near Wellman. In 1949 Jerry came into the family. He was followed by Charlene in 1950 and Mary in 1953. During this time they moved to Frytown. Five years later Merle joined the family in 1957. Ellsward (Pete) came in 1958, Rhonda in 1960. Diane was born in 1961 and Kevin in 1962. The most difficult times in his life

were saying goodbye to Diane, Charlene, and Mom when they died.

D.Paul was employed most of his working years with Yoder Feeds Inc. He held various jobs there including driving a feed truck, installing and servicing Feed-O-Matic mills, designing and building a poop scraper for the Stock Haus division, and bagging feed. In retirement he loved the seasonal work at the grain elevator in Frytown during the fall harvest.

Surviving D. Paul are his children:  Mary Yoder(Elroy) Holsopple, Rhonda Yoder(Greg) Polizzotto, Jerry(Marcia) Yoder, Merle(Jeana) Yoder, Ellsward “Pete” (Barb)Yoder, and Kevin(Bekkey) Yoder.and  three sisters: Leah Roberts, Eunice(Jim) Brenneman, Ruby Campos, two brothers, Mark Joesph(Carolyn) Yoder and Phil(Judy) Yoder.  Also surviving are13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

D. Paul was preceded in death by his wife Ila Mae (Erb) Yoder of 59 years) daughters, Diane Kay Yoder and Charlene Miller, sisters, Lois Yoder, Rhoda Mae Yoder, Ruth  Yoder and brother Luke Yoder.

A memorial fund has been established for Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church.