1917
Willis
2014
Willis London Yokley
August 21, 1917 — September 22, 2014
Willis London Yokley, retired businessman, farmer, and church leader, died Monday, September 22, 2014 at the White House Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, White House, Tennessee. Mr. Yokley, a Simpson County native, was born August 21, 1917, the youngest of five children born to his parents, Jonah F. and Estelle Butt Yokley. His siblings were infant Pauline Yokley, Eva Yokley Button, and Ethelyn Yokley Cummings, and W. Ross Yokley. All predeceased him.
Mr. Yokley was widely known throughout the Southern Kentucky/Northern Tennessee areas as the owner of the Frosty Freeze, one of Franklin's oldest businesses. He and his late wife, Mary Leslie Minnicks Yokley, built and opened the Frosty Freeze in May, 1956. They continued to own it and actively participate in its operation for over fifty years until they sold the business to a long-time employee and friend, Wendy Gant. The Frosty Freeze was the first drive-in restaurant in Franklin and provided employment for many teens and adults through the years. Those employees became like family to Mr. and Mrs. Yokley.
Mr. Yokley was born on a farm in the Schwizer community where he also began his schooling. He loved farming and some of his greatest joys were seeing the crops mature and harvested. He enjoyed visiting the farm that he and Mrs. Yokley owned in South Franklin until his recent illness prevented traveling.
On June 12, 1938, he married Mary Leslie Minnicks, daughter of the late Leslie J. and Mary Ertner Minnicks. They were married for 74 years until her death in 2012. He and his late father-in-law had several trucking and farming businesses together through the years.
In a partnership with three other Franklin men Mr. Yokley formed the Red-I-Mix Concrete Company, which later was renamed Franklin Concrete Products. They furnished much of the concrete for the portion of I-65 in Simpson County. He was the president of that company until it was sold in 1975.
In 1986 he was named the Small Business Man of the Year by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
Since 1943 he and Mrs. Yokley were active members of the First Baptist Church. It was there that he was ordained as a deacon and served on many committees, including the planning committee for the current building on East Cedar Street.
He was a former member of the Franklin Lion's Club.
Mr. Yokley was a veteran of World War II having served as a 1st Sergeant in the European Theater of Operation from 1943 to 1946. He landed on Omaha Beach a few days after D-Day in June, 1944. During those years he was able to visit the grave of his brother-in-law, 2nd Lt. William Daniel Minnicks, who was killed as a pilot in England.
He is survived by his daughters, Becky Yokley Scearce and her husband, Camden Ballard Scearce, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Lucy Yokley Stoner and her husband, Carl Frank Stoner, of Franklin. Mr. Yokley has three grandsons, C. Ballard Scearce, Jr. and wife, Shannon, Daniel Matthew Scearce and wife, Lesley, all of Chattanooga, and London Bradley Daugherty and wife, Jaime, of Lexington, Kentucky. He is also survived by one granddaughter, Kerry D. Leach and husband, Justin, of Nashville, Tennessee. Also surviving are great grandchildren Camden Ballard, III, Saylor McCall, Samuel Matthew, William Wakefield, and Charles Willis Scearce all of Chattanooga, London Maxwell and Reese McRae Daugherty of Lexington, and Warner London and Campbell Elizabeth Leach of Nashville. Other survivors are three great nieces, two cousins, and a host of friends and former employees.
Mr. Yokley was widely known throughout the Southern Kentucky/Northern Tennessee areas as the owner of the Frosty Freeze, one of Franklin's oldest businesses. He and his late wife, Mary Leslie Minnicks Yokley, built and opened the Frosty Freeze in May, 1956. They continued to own it and actively participate in its operation for over fifty years until they sold the business to a long-time employee and friend, Wendy Gant. The Frosty Freeze was the first drive-in restaurant in Franklin and provided employment for many teens and adults through the years. Those employees became like family to Mr. and Mrs. Yokley.
Mr. Yokley was born on a farm in the Schwizer community where he also began his schooling. He loved farming and some of his greatest joys were seeing the crops mature and harvested. He enjoyed visiting the farm that he and Mrs. Yokley owned in South Franklin until his recent illness prevented traveling.
On June 12, 1938, he married Mary Leslie Minnicks, daughter of the late Leslie J. and Mary Ertner Minnicks. They were married for 74 years until her death in 2012. He and his late father-in-law had several trucking and farming businesses together through the years.
In a partnership with three other Franklin men Mr. Yokley formed the Red-I-Mix Concrete Company, which later was renamed Franklin Concrete Products. They furnished much of the concrete for the portion of I-65 in Simpson County. He was the president of that company until it was sold in 1975.
In 1986 he was named the Small Business Man of the Year by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
Since 1943 he and Mrs. Yokley were active members of the First Baptist Church. It was there that he was ordained as a deacon and served on many committees, including the planning committee for the current building on East Cedar Street.
He was a former member of the Franklin Lion's Club.
Mr. Yokley was a veteran of World War II having served as a 1st Sergeant in the European Theater of Operation from 1943 to 1946. He landed on Omaha Beach a few days after D-Day in June, 1944. During those years he was able to visit the grave of his brother-in-law, 2nd Lt. William Daniel Minnicks, who was killed as a pilot in England.
He is survived by his daughters, Becky Yokley Scearce and her husband, Camden Ballard Scearce, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Lucy Yokley Stoner and her husband, Carl Frank Stoner, of Franklin. Mr. Yokley has three grandsons, C. Ballard Scearce, Jr. and wife, Shannon, Daniel Matthew Scearce and wife, Lesley, all of Chattanooga, and London Bradley Daugherty and wife, Jaime, of Lexington, Kentucky. He is also survived by one granddaughter, Kerry D. Leach and husband, Justin, of Nashville, Tennessee. Also surviving are great grandchildren Camden Ballard, III, Saylor McCall, Samuel Matthew, William Wakefield, and Charles Willis Scearce all of Chattanooga, London Maxwell and Reese McRae Daugherty of Lexington, and Warner London and Campbell Elizabeth Leach of Nashville. Other survivors are three great nieces, two cousins, and a host of friends and former employees.
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