Van Brocklin, D.J. 'Yogi'

D.J. “Yogi” Van Brocklin, 86, of Fredericksburg, died Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, at the Hiawatha Care Center in Hiawatha.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner with Pastor Laura Hucke officiating. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Bethel Cemetery of rural Hawkeye. A memorial fund will be established and memorials may be given directly to the family. Online condolences may be left at .

Donald Judd Van Brocklin, son of Judd and Grace Brockway Van Brocklin, was born Oct. 19, 1927, in Eden Township of rural Fayette County, Iowa. He graduated from Alpha Consolidated School in 1946, and later served with the U.S. Army. He farmed briefly, did carpentry work and worked in mines in Arizona prior to establishing an excavating business in 1974 in Fredericksburg. He continued the business until retirement. He had been a resident of Fredericksburg for many years and a member of the American Legion in Safford, Ariz., for the past 40 years.

“Yogi” is survived by two daughters, Debra K. (LaVern) Ferguson of Moline, Ill., and Terry Jo (Bob) Von Roden of Robins; four grandchildren, Alicia (Alex) Pickett of Coralville, and Sara (Josh) Reaktenwalt, Lisa (Corey) Shipman, and Bryan (Brittani) Von Roden, all of Cedar Rapids; six great-grandchildren, Jaxson Shipman, Elliotte Von Roden, Dimitri Pickett, Leland Reakenwalt, Tidus Pickett, and Huesten Von Roden; and two sisters, Virginia Toenges of Hawkeye, and Caryl Hoepfner of Milton Freewater, Ore.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Russell; and one grandson, Lucas Ferguson.

Published Nov. 4, 2013, in The Gazette