Kerald E. Yearns

Kerald Eugene Yearns, devoted husband and loving companion, passed away in Des Moines, Iowa on October 19, 2023.

Kerald was born on July 9, 1937 near Greentop, Missouri to Eugene and Mary Louise (Schubert) Yearns.  He grew up in small towns in Missouri and Iowa.  He graduated from Lake City High School, Lake City, Iowa in 1955, then served in the Air Force Security Service for four years.  After Basic Training he received a crash course in Russian language before being stationed in Berlin, Germany.  His assignment was to monitor Soviet pilots flying near Berlin after the Russians launched Sputnik.

After military service he came back to Iowa to study at Iowa State University, receiving undergraduate degrees in Dairy Industry and History and later an M.S. degree in History.  There he met Mary Ella Holt on a blind date.  They were married on June 13, 1964.

Kerald was a dedicated teacher and served 35 years in the classroom at Valley High School, West Des Moines, Iowa.  His major teaching responsibilities in the Social Studies Department included History and Russian language.  He traveled frequently to the Soviet Union, leading tours for both youth and adults, hosting Russian teachers in his home, and studying Russian culture and language.  Kerald was among a group of American Russian teachers who spent a summer in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) that was invited to meet Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin in Moscow.  Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika campaign was in full swing, so the Soviet press was authorized to provide extensive television and newspaper coverage about the visiting American teachers.

Kerald was a passionate reader of history, especially books on World War II, code breaking, and the spy novels of John le Carré.  His love of reading was shared with friends, neighbors, and relatives.  In recent years his annual birthday gift for two grand-nephews was to help them pick out a book of their choosing at a local bookstore.

After retirement, Kerald was a dedicated volunteer at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City.  He spent countless hours planting, weeding, and gathering prairie seeds, as well as telling “buffalo stories” to wide-eyed school children who visited the Refuge. Kerald also maintained connections with his retired Social Studies colleagues.  They met frequently over breakfast to discuss books, shared concerns about social justice issues, and kept up with each other’s lives.  Kerald was also a faithful volunteer at Trinity Las Americas Church in Des Moines.  He will be remembered for his sonorous voice when reading scripture.

Kerald and Mary shared 59 years of married life, traveled widely, and enjoyed working together on major projects.  He was deeply involved in helping restore the 1909 farmhouse in southern Iowa in which Mary grew up.  The Holt Farm has been in her family for 150 years and received a Heritage Farm Certificate from the Iowa Department of Agriculture at the 2023 Iowa State Fair.  Kerald was proud of his part in helping continue the family farm legacy.

Kerald was preceded in death by his parents, sister Marilyn, and brother-in-law Lyle Holt.  He is survived by his wife Mary; brothers- and sisters-in-law Lynn and Dixie Holt, Leon and Laura Blanchet, Paul Holt, and Bill Lynch; and nephews and nieces.

Memorials may be made to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City or to Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church in Des Moines.

Visitation will be held on October 29, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, 8201 Hickman Rd, Urbandale.   A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 30, 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church, 1548 Eighth St., Des Moines.  A private family burial will follow.

Kerald's memorial service will be live streamed with the link provided: https://vimeo.com/879411118?share=copy