Obituaries

Nancy Jane Yoder

May 20, 1936 - February 8, 2025

Nancy Jane Yoder
May 20, 1936 – February 8, 2025
The world just got a little quieter, a little less adventurous, and a whole lot less fun with the passing of Nancy Jane Yoder. But if you listen closely, you can still hear the shuffle of playing cards, the echoes of laughter, and the splash of a perfectly cast fishing line—because Nancy’s spirit is too big to be silenced.
Born on May 20, 1936, Nancy lived a life that could only be described as full-speed, high-energy, and absolutely unforgettable. On September 26, 1957, she married the love of her life, Donald Yoder, and together they built a love story that lasted 60 years until his passing in 2017. In those six decades, they raised three wonderful sons, Douglas George, David Greg, and Dean Greggory, instilling in them her love for life, competition, and kindness. Though Douglas passed in 2018, her legacy lives on through David and Dean, her six grandchildren—Madeleine, Brady, Zachary, Layla, Hunter, and Jordan—and four great-grandchildren—Aiden, Ava, Grayson, and Draven.
Nancy was, quite simply, unstoppable. She was a fierce competitor at the bridge table, turning her knack for cards into a small but mighty lunch fund for her boys when they were young. She was an athlete before it was fashionable, dominating basketball courts, softball fields, and roller rinks in her youth, and later proving that she could throw a perfect spiral or block a jump shot just as well as any of her sons. She fished, she laughed, and she lived with a fire that never dimmed.
And speaking of fire—on her 80th birthday, Nancy decided that skydiving and white-water rafting were the best ways to celebrate another trip around the sun. Fear? She didn’t know the meaning of the word. Good times? She made sure everyone around her had them.
Even in her final months, as her body grew tired, her spirit never wavered. She played cards, enjoyed wings and a beer, and made sure every moment was filled with joy. She never met a stranger, only future friends, and if someone needed help, Nancy was always the first to step up.
While we will miss her dearly, we take comfort in knowing that her legacy lives on in the stories we tell, the laughter we share, and the adventures we continue in her honor. The world may have lost an incredible woman, but heaven just gained its fiercest competitor, best storyteller, and most fearless adventurer.
Nancy Jane Yoder will never be forgotten—her legend is just getting started.