WILLIAM YANKIE (WILLIE)

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WILLIAM YANKIE

It is with much love and heartfelt sadness we announce the passing of William Herbert Yankie on April 30, 2020, at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Ashern, MB.
William was born on June 22, 1931 in Ashern, MB, and was the third youngest of fourteen children born to Ernestina and August Yanke.
Willie left home at a young age and worked odd jobs, going back and forth from Winnipeg to the farm homestead in Ashern, until he joined the Army at 18 years old. He was a member of the Special Forces Unit, and was honourably discharged for health reasons just before he was to be stationed in Korea. He loved telling stories of his adventures with his fellow soldiers.
Once back to civilian life, he was quite a wanderer until he met the love of his life, Leona Gall. They married on October 13, 1956 in Moosehorn, MB, moved to Winnipeg, and immediately started their family of four children. During these years, he worked at Canada Wire, Silverwood Dairies, and Coop Implements Ltd. to name a few, until he moved his family to St. Malo, MB in 1973, and finally to Ashern, MB in 1977, where he operated a small farm, and supplemented the family income by working with his carpentry skills, renovating businesses and building homes in Ashern until his last employment as a custodian at Ashern Central School. He retired from the school in 1995 at 64 years old. He and Leona lived in the house that he built on their farm, three miles east of the town of Ashern, until they moved into town in 2011, where he enjoyed the remainder of his retirement.
During his retirement, he loved watching old classic western movies. But his true passion was using his carpentry skills as a modeller, and he started building stage coaches. He quickly refocused this passion, and created a scale model of the Town of Ashern, recreating it as he had remembered it as a child in the 1940s. He donated it to the Ashern Museum where it can be viewed and enjoyed by all.
This fall, Willie and Leona celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary.
Willie is survived by his wife Leona; his children, Iris (Darrell), Rodney, Gwen (Randy), Annette (Tony); grandchildren, Daniel, Damien, Samantha, Shara, Niketa, Tamara, Noah, Belinda, Nicole, Teffra and Steven; nine great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Elsie and Esther; along with many nieces and nephews.
He is predeceased by his mother and father; mother and fathers-in-law; seven sisters, Helen, Tillie, Edith, Martha, Annie, Alma and Olga; as well as four brothers, Fred, August, Arthur and Charlie.
Cremation has taken place, and a memorial celebration will be held at a later date once circumstances allow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Willie's memory to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation Inc., 675 McDermot Ave., Room ON 1160, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9.

Arrangements by:
ARNASON FUNERAL HOME
Ashern - Lundar
1.204.768.2072
1.866.323.3593

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 09, 2020