Harold Yahnka, age 86, of Cottonwood passed away Friday June 10, 2011
at the Granite Municipal Hospital in Granite Falls. Memorial Services
will be held Thursday June 16, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at Sunset Funeral
Home Chapel in Echo with burial at a later date. Visitation will be held
Thursday June 16, 2011 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Sunset Funeral Home in Echo.
Sunset Funeral and Cremation Association of Echo and Wabasso are in
charge of the arrangements.

Harold LeRoy Yahnka was born on August 3, 1924 the son of August and
Jessie Yahnka. He was raised on the lower west side of St. Paul, MN.
He graduated from Humbolt High School in 1942. He was drafted into the
US Army in March 1943 at the age at 19 years old serving in World War
II until he was honorably discharged in December of 1945. Upon coming
home he was offered an apprentice job with the St. Paul Union
Printers. He played semi-professional baseball with the Union
Printers as a centerfielder. The St. Paul Union Printers has a
tournament every year and it was located in one of ten different
cities. He played in Fenway Park in Boston, Briggs Stadium in Detroit
and Wrigley Field in Chicago. He was united in marriage to Helen
Lohmann on May 17, 1947. They moved to Cottonwood in 1953 where he
farmed for several years and later returned to St. Paul to work at the
St. Paul Pioneer Press until his retirement in 1986. His retirement
years were a very busy time. He and Helen traveled to Hawaii,
Florida, California, Colorado and Washington. He also skydived at the
age of 75 years old and then again at the age of 80. Last September
he was part of the Honor Flight that went to see the WWII Memorial in
Washington DC and referred to it as a “trip of a lifetime”. He
loved conversation along with a good cup of coffee – black, strong
with a little cream. He was a pie maker – beyond words – with his
specialty being Cherry, Pumpkin and Apple pie. He was a Twins fan and
a side-line coach rarely missing a game on TV. He was a humble man of
humble beginnings who never forgot where he came from.

He is survived by his children: Christy Hulzebos of Porter, Tom of
Cottonwood, Connie Kurtz of Montrose SD; seven grandchildren Nathan
Hulzebos of Canby, Robyn Hulzebos of Sioux Falls, SD, Angela Yahnka of
Marshall, Matt Yahnka of Cottonwood, Sean, Spencer and Sydney Kurtz of
Montrose, SD; two great-grandchildren Brady and Izabelle Hulzebos; his
sister Lorraine Friedlund of S. St. Paul, MN. He was preceded in death
by his wife Helen, his son Gordy, his mother and father August and
Jessie Yahnka, his brother Marvin and his brother Gordon.