Adrian Yokiel, 86, Wells

Published 10:15 am Monday, March 14, 2011

Adrian Yokiel, 86, of Wells, died Thursday, March 10, 2011, at Immanuel St. Joseph Hospital in Mankato. Memorial Mass will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells. Visitation will be today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. The Rev. Mark McNea will officiate and burial will take place in St. Casimir Cemetery, Wells, Faribault County.

Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is assisting the family with arrangements.

Adrian was born May 17, 1924, in Wells, the son of Ignatius and Regina (Schultz) Yokiel. He graduated from Wells High School in 1942. Adrian joined the U.S.. Army in 1945. He served in World War II and received an honorable discharge in 1947. On Dec. 28, 1953, he married Yvonne Marie Schroeder in Wells. Adrian enjoyed sports and working with the local youth. He was the first coach for the Wells High School girls’ fast-pitch softball team. Adrian also traveled all over the area pitching for various fast-pitch softball teams. He was inducted into the Freeborn County Fast Pitch Hall of Fame in 1990. He was also part of the chain gang for the football team. Adrian enjoyed working on engines and other types of mechanic work. He worked in maintenance and mechanics at Weyerhauser in Albert Lea. After retirement, he umpired slow-pitch softball and continued tinkering with engines. Numerous family and friends will miss Adrian-he would help anyone who asked and he loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and friends.

Adrian is survived by five children: Wayne (Mary Jo) Yokiel of Brooklyn Park, Dennis Yokiel of Wells, Dale (Donna) Yokiel of Easton, Lynn (Doug) Steck of Waseca and Daniel (Brenda) Yokiel of Waseca; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Donna Olson of Arizona, Norma (Maynard) Schwartz of Minnesota Lake, Lorraine (Gene) Kliniske of North Dakota, Iva (Ray) Spires of Ohio, Delores Lamoreaux of Vernon Center and Carol Schroeder of Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Yvonne; sisters: Margaret (George) Wanzek and Marcella (Philip) Bushlack, two sisters in infancy; a niece Karen Androli; and a nephew Darrell Bushlack.