Bill was born December 13, 1931 to W. Clare Yager and Anna Grayce (Owen) Yager, the second of an eventual three sons in Carroll, Iowa. Growing up on the family farm and having a mother who was a school teacher, Bill made his mark excelling in baseball, basketball, and the sciences. He and his younger brother Lowell were also quite accomplished table tennis players, although it is not known when this talent was honed. Upon entering Iowa State University in the fall of 1950, Bill also enlisted in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at the same time.
Upon graduation from Iowa State, Bill started his career in the Air Force as a Lieutenant. He was stationed at Whitman Air Force in Missouri. It was here where he met his future wife Martha "Marky" Fischer, being set up on a blind double date by one of Bill's Air Force buddies. Bill and Marky married in June 1959. In the fall of 1960, they moved their young family to Council Bluffs, Iowa where both accepted jobs as high school teachers. By 1965 Bill retired from the Air Force as a captain and took over farming operations for his parents in Audubon County, Iowa where he raised grain and livestock for over 30 years. In 1989, Bill and Marky moved to Urbandale, Iowa to start their new careers in farm management and real estate. He enjoyed this career until his retirement. Bill still owned some farmland and was successful as both a farmer and owner in Iowa upon his death.
Bill loved to play golf as much as he could although his game was his handicap. He also enjoyed a good game of cards with family and friends. Some of his most cherished times were spent playing a card game called Shang-Hai with his granddaughter and her friends. Bill also enjoyed good food with his family. His favorite menu of choice was oyster stew. Other culinary creations weren’t quite as successful. Unfortunately, his family members were often the guinea pigs. There was always laughter lurking in Bill's eyes as he would enjoy telling a good joke as much as hearing one. In retirement, Bill and Marky both enjoyed traveling and were fortunate enough to visit places like Hawaii, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany. Bill always felt he had generally lived well and had few regrets. He was thankful and proud of the opportunities he had had during his life.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Robert “Bob” Yager and his wife Phyllis as well as Lowell Yager and his wife Louise. Bill is survived by his wife Marky as well as his three children, Kimberly Kerr of Des Moines, Iowa; Michael Yager of West Des Moines, Iowa; and Kristine Yager-Rushton (Edward Rushton) of Statesboro, Georgia, along with three grandchildren, Miles Kerr (Katian) of Glendale, California, Evan Kerr (Danielle Evans) of Des Moines, Iowa; and Erica Yager (Dylan Medina) of Des Moines, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks those who wish to honor Bill's memory to select and support their favorite charity by donating their time and effort to help others.
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