Evelyn Yahnke age 94 of Westbrook passed away Sunday, April 6, 2014 at Lake Ridge Care Center in Buffalo.  Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Friday, April 11 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook.  Visitation is one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.  Interment is in the Westbrook Cemetery.  Online condolences may be sent via www.stephensfuneralservice.com.  Stephens Funeral Service – Westbrook Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Evelyn Ruth (Nelson) Yahnke was born on Tuesday, June 12, 1919 to Frieda and Victor Nelson.  She was raised on a farm in Murray County along with her brothers, Jay, Dale and Howard Nelson. They all attended country school in a one-room schoolhouse where she enjoyed spelling, arithmetic, and geography. Being a very bright student, she was able to skip both second and sixth grades, graduating from 8th grade.  Some of her favorite childhood memories were card parties, barn dances and going to town on Saturday nights. She remembered when ice-cream cones cost 5 cents; they could go to the movies for only 25 cents per ticket and popcorn for 10 cents. Some of the rules her parents set for her were to be friendly to everyone.  Evelyn married Milton Yahnke on June 18, 1939. They had grown up on neighboring farms so they knew each other from childhood. They raised four children, Betty, Brenda, Bryan and Beverly. As the children grew, her favorite family entertainments included taking a picnic to the lake while Milton fished and also going to the local baseball games on Sunday afternoons.  They moved from place to place, 24 times in 26 years; they went to where the jobs were. They lived in various towns throughout Minnesota, South and North Dakota, and the Twin Cities making many friends along the way. Upon retirement they moved back to Westbrook.  Family was very important to her but she also had many interests. She went through the steps of the Eastern Star. Evelyn and Milton liked to go dancing and she kept busy with knitting, beading, making calendars, crocheting, and playing cards with family and friends. She also enjoyed journaling and writing letters to family and friends. She entered several articles for local papers and had a letter published in Good Housekeeping.  When we think of our family and mom in particular, we remember the many gatherings with family and friends. You could always count on her sharing her wonderful fried chicken, the sour cream raisin pie, or the homemade cake donuts that were given to friends, family, neighbors, and so many others who needed comfort.  She wrote once that some of the things she hoped her children learned from her were respect for each other and being friendly and kind to their elders. She also wrote the most precious gift her children ever gave her was love.

Evelyn is survived by daughters Betty (husband Marlowe) Lindstrom of Simpsonville, SC, Brenda (husband Ron) Tisdale of Morristown, AZ, Beverly (husband Gene) Ross of St. Michael, MN, Son Bryan of St. Michael, MN and brother Howard Nelson of Westbrook; numerous grandchildren; great grandchildren; nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by husband Milton, parents Victor and Frieda Nelson, two brothers Jay and Dale Nelson, and great granddaughter Molly Onken.