Juanita Mae Yoke Friesen

Juanita Mae Yoke Friesen, age 86, of Fort Scott, died Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 ,at Mercy Health Center following a brief illness. She was born Oct. 29, 1921 in LaCueva, N.M., the daughter of George Edgar Yoke and Essie Juanita Waddelow Yoke. She graduated from Fort Scott Community College prior to receiving her nursing degree from Pittsburg State College. Juanita served during World War II with the United States Navy. She married Ken Friesen in April of 1951 at Wichita, Kan. He preceded her in death in 1991. She was retired from nursing having worked in California, Topeka, Kan., and at Arkhaven Nursing Home and Mercy Hospital, in Fort Scott. She was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church, in California. Juanita loved to read and at the time of her death was reading a book a day.

Survivors include three sons, Mike Rache and wife Karen and Kim Friesen, all of Springfield, Mo., and Brian Friesen and wife Junko, Austin, Texas. Also surviving is a sister, Virginia Myers and husband Dick, Fort Scott and three brothers, Robert Yoke and wife Madge, Nashville, Tenn., Jerry Yoke and wife Toni, Fort Scott, and Thomas Yoke and wife Sherry, Plano, Texas; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, George Yoke and a nephew, Jeffrey Yoke.

The Rev. Paul Babcock will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m., Monday, in the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m., until service time at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to either Meals on Wheels or the Fort Scott Library and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701.