LaDonna (Thake) Yoakum

LaDonna Marie (Thake) Yoakum, 91, of Newton and Russell, died on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at Park Centre. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will greet friends from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service and again after the service with a lunch at the funeral home. Memorials to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital or Hawkeye women’s athletics may be left at the funeral home.    

LaDonna was born on January 29, 1930, at home in State Center to Leland and Elsie (Coppey) Thake, the second of four children.  She was baptized February 16, 1930 and confirmed March 29, 1942 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in State Center.  She attended school in State Center except for one year that she attended St. John’s for confirmation and one year she attended LaMollie.  During high school, she was a member of the basketball team and worked at the State Center restaurant, detasseling, and at the Marshalltown Hospital.  

On August 9, 1947, she was united in marriage with Harold Clio Yoakum at the St. John’s parsonage in State Center. They were blessed with one daughter, Karen.  They made their home in Colfax and later in Newton and rural Russell. 

LaDonna, also affectionately known as Aunt Donnie/Donnie/Gram, was employed for 41 years at the Maytag Company and was the first woman truck (fork lift) driver. She enjoyed playing on the Maytag softball and bowling teams.  Most people who knew her from Maytag said she “ran” the dock and played a mean game of pitch. After retirement from Maytag and the death of Harold she took on a second career as a cook and kitchen staff for Chariton Nursing and Rehab for 17 years.  She was a hard worker and worked for as long as she could, even recently saying she couldn’t slow down because she had to take care of and feed the “old” people at the Manor. 

Gram never passed up a chance to participate in her grandchildren’s activities. She was an avid Hawkeye fan, including being a season ticket holder for several years and going to Florida for many bowl games. She especially loved it when the Hawks beat her sister and nieces’ favorite team, the Cyclones! 

In recent years she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Chariton, where she was involved in LWWL and other activities.

LaDonna is survived by her daughter, Karen (Rock) Illingworth of Newton and Russell; grandchildren, Jana Illingworth of Des Moines and Erik Illingworth of Pella; her brother-in-law, Don Hintze of Sioux Falls; sister-in-law, Marilyn Yoakum of Russell; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Virginia Mae Carmack, Pauline Hintze, and Kenneth Thake.  

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