Samel Yoder

Samuel M. Yoder

September 2, 2016

On September 2, 2016, Samuel M. Yoder, age 86, died at the Fairview Range Hospital in Hibbing, Minnesota. He was born on May 6, 1930 to Milo and Polly (Bontrager) Yoder of Goshen, Indiana, where he lived for the first 29 years of his life.

He is survived by his wife Frieda; two daughters and six sons: daughter Naomi, married to Dennis Witmer of San Andreas, California; son Nevin, married to Wanda (Martin) of Orange Walk, Belize in Central America; daughter Doris, married to Jason Yoder of Nashwauk, Minnesota; son Nathan married to Patti (Stutzman) of Hayward, Wisconsin; son Samuel, known as Jim, married to Diane (Peachy)  of Hayward, Wisconsin; son Jerry married to Trenda (Skrivseth) of Nashwauk, Minnesota; son Ned married to Tammy (Chipman) of Hayward, Wisconsin; son Eric married to Bonnie (Yoder) of Westminster, South Carolina. He has 30 grandchildren, 76 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.

He is also survived by one sister: Edna (Henry) Yoder of Goshen, Indiana.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Milo and Polly, five siblings who died in early childhold, two brothers, Joe and Ervin, and two sisters, Elizabeth and Anna, two grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

In 1946, at the age of 16, Samuel received Christ as Lord and Savior, was baptized, and joined East Clinton Amish Church of rural Goshen, Indiana. Later he and and his future bride changed their membership to the Conservative Mennonite Church.  On July 23, 1949, he married Frieda Schrock. Together they  celebrated 67 years of marriage.

In December of 1958, he was sent from the Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church of Goshen, Indiana to assist in the mission work  at  Hayward, Wisconin. The next spring, in answer to this call, Samuel and Frieda moved their family to the Hayward area.   On June 4, 1961,  he was ordained to the ministry at Northwoods Mennonite Church.  Since then he has served faithfully as Bible school teacher at Carbon Hill, Ohio, minister of the Blooming Prairie Mennonite church in Minnesota, and several other congregations  within the Midwest Mennonite Fellowship. Additionally, he has served in various capacities within that group, including  teacher and principal at Maranatha Bible School, and later as marriage counselor at Fresh Start in Washington, Indiana. He never stopped preaching and teaching, and was still instructing in godly principles on the day of his death.

He had boundless energy and worked hard throughout his life as an electrician,  carpenter,  poultry farmer, pig farm manager, and a hydroponic lettuce grower.  His wife and children worked alongside him in many of these businesses, and he taught his sons and daughters through example and mentorship in construction and business management.

Sam and Frieda retired to northern Minnesota in the spring of 1999 and have lived in the Nashwauk area since then. During his retirement, Sam showed a passionate interest in his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Of his 147 descendants, including children, grandchildren, all their spouses, the greats and great-greats, he knew everyone's birthdate and was able to list them all in  order of age.  For awhile he sent cards and then later started calling each person on their birthday. On the day of his death, he was telling us which person would be having the next birthday and instructed us to be sure to pass on his good wishes.   He was always excited about the newest baby and enjoyed telling people about his family.

Memorial Service, Visitation, and Open Casket officiated by Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing, MN will be at the Nashwauk Alliance Church, 825 1st St, Nashwauk, MN. Memorial Service will be at 11:30 a.m. September 7, 2016. Visitation will be the evening before from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on September 6, 2016. A family graveside service will precede the Memorial Service and an "open casket" from 9:00am to 9:45am for any who were not able to attend the visitation.