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Lonzo Yates, 86 years, of Bryan, passed away Tuesday afternoon, June 25, 2013 at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Lonzo was born on Sunday, March 6, 1927 at his parents’ home in Prater, Virginia. He was the fifth of 14 children born to George Dewey and Ida (Stiltner) Yates. Lonzo attended a one room school as a child and worked on his dad’s mountain farm. He then began working at H.E. Harmon Coal Company for 10 years, before moving to Ohio in July of 1955 where he began working for the GM Foundry in Defiance, Ohio, where he worked for the next 30 years, retiring in 1981. Lonzo also owned the former Yates Bar and Grill from 1963 until 1977. Lonzo married Kathleen L. “Kathy” Hedrick on August 9, 1986 in Vasant, Virginia. He was a member of First Lutheran Church, Bryan as well as the Bryan Eagles Aerie 2233 and the Bryan Moose Lodge #1064. Lonzo also belonged to the UAW Local 211 in Defiance, the Family Motor Coach Association, Good Sam RV Club and the Northern Indiana Blue Grass Association.
Surviving are his wife, Kathy of Bryan; one daughter, Pearl (Gary) Cooper of Bryan; one son, Wayne Yates of Bryan; five grandchildren, Linkus (Carrie) Yates, Doug (Kim) Stiltner, Tim Yates, Monty (Cheryl) Stiltner and Jeffrey (Jenny) Yates; five brothers, Roosevelt (Orpha) Yates of Clyde, Ohio, John Henry (Ruth) Yates of Napoleon, Ohio, Jerry (Ada) Yates of Troy, Michigan, Vada Yates of Grundy, Virginia and Elzie Yates of Las Vegas, Nevada; two sisters, Berchie Blakenship of Clyde, Ohio and June Hamilton also of Clyde, Ohio. He was preceded in death by four brothers, Hufford, Ernest, Burlin and Jessee Yates and two sisters, Lottie Vandyke and Margie Breeding.
Funeral services for Lonzo Yates will be held at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, June 29, 2013 in the First Lutheran Church, 210 North Cherry Street, Bryan, with Pastor Richard Franks officiating. Interment will follow in Fountain Grove Cemetery. Bryan. Visitation for Lonzo will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Saturday in the Oberlin-Turnbull Funeral Home, 206 North Lynn Street, Bryan.
Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider memorial contributions to
First Lutheran Church, 210 North Cherry Street, Bryan, Ohio, 43506 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.