Mary Beth Yakle

Mary Beth (Stach) Yakle, age 60, Stilwell, Kansas, formerly of Minot, ND, died on Thursday May 20, 2021 after a brief yet valiant battle with cancer. Mary Beth was born February 8, 1961 in Minot, ND, the youngest child of Philip Sr. and Shirley Stach. Though her father died of an illness around her 2nd birthday, her mom and siblings made sure to spoil her as much as possible. She attended elementary school in Minot, and she loved her mom’s homemade hot chocolate so much that she insisted her mom make this for her (with 6 pieces of toast) for breakfast every school morning for 6 years! She attended junior high and high school at Bishop Ryan High School, graduating in 1979. Mary Beth was very smart and received good grades, however, school was mostly a social event for her as she was gregarious, witty, fun-loving and independent. Most importantly, it was in this setting that she made several of her closest, caring and life-long friends, Kelly Buettner Schmidt and Deena Wald Elm. Her adventurous spirit landed her good-paying summer jobs directing traffic on all male highway crews throughout her college years before it was the norm to hire females for this role. She received her 2-year degree in Occupational Therapy at ND State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND. True to her independent spirit and in the days before GPS and cell phones, she drove by herself to Lawrence, Kansas and moved herself into the co-ed dorm at the University of Kansas to become a Jayhawk and begin her successful journey towards obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. She made many friends including life-long friends Janet Slaven and Barb Berlin who were with her in her final days. It was also here that she met a fellow student named Jeff Yakle, who became the absolute love of her life and her adoring husband. They were married in Minot on August 8, 1986 and would have celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary this summer. Mary Beth often talked to her siblings about her special bond with Jeff and it would be hard to find a greater love and adoration for a spouse than Mary Beth had for Jeff, or that Jeff had for her. Jeff’s career took them to wonderful and exciting places to live, such as Omaha, NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Overland Park/Stilwell, Kansas areas. Mary Beth continued her career in Occupational Therapy, providing services in differing fields, such as rehab facilities and school settings. She went on to get her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, specializing in the treatment of autism and retired at age 55. Mary Beth dedicated herself to helping children, which brought her great joy. Early in their marriage, Mary Beth and Jeff were blessed with 3 children, Derek, Trent, and Hunter, whom Mary Beth adored. Mary Beth preferred not to cook, but loved to eat Jeff’s cooking, eating at a restaurant, or bringing takeout food home. Mary Beth and Jeff enjoyed taking in their children’s events and following them through their college years. Mary Beth relished her trips with Jeff and her sons to participate in such things as snorkeling, hiking, and her favorite: family ski trips at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Mary Beth returned to her hometown often to visit with her mom, brother, sisters, and friends. Mary Beth, her mom and 2 of her sisters, were fortunate to be able to go on annual mother-daughter reunion trips for many years resulting in plenty of shenanigans and happy memories. Mary Beth was a lover of rescue animals, which included her current beloved and large dogs, Mya and Kalvin. She was dedicated to them even when Mya destroyed the cushions off their new couch, and Kalvin chewed new garden hoses and tore open packages delivered to the front door and strew the contents around the yard. Kalvin returned Mary Beth’s patience and affection by staying close to her night and day while she was ill and kept a watchful eye on Jeff as he cared for Mary Beth. She was always very concerned about others over herself and thus, kept her cancer diagnosis and much of her subsequent related medical issues from others. After her diagnosis and surgery in December 2020, Trent was able to return to the US to spend 3 months to be with his mom and assist his dad in caring for her. Hunter and his dog, Buster, were frequent visitors which Mary Beth looked forward to and always brought a smile to her face. Derek continues to live at home and assisted in whatever way he could. Her two sisters from North Dakota snuck in a couple of visits with her recently. Her family was a true gift to her. Mary Beth maintained her courageous and independent thinking up to the end of her life. To celebrate Mary Beth’s life, we ask you practice random acts of kindness, hug your family members, visit or adopt a shelter animal, remember Mary Beth as you have your morning coffee, laugh and smile often, and spend time with good friends. Our family would like to extend special blessings to Janet Slaven and Kelly Buettner Schmidt who spent the last week of Mary Beth’s life with her and her family in Kansas, offering care and lending their medical expertise; to Mary Beth and Jeff’s neighbors and friends for their continual support and encouragement; and the to the staff of Kansas City Hospice Home. Mary Beth’s loving family includes her devoted husband, Jeff; sons, Derek, Stilwell, KS; Trent, Taipei, Taiwan; and Hunter, Kansas City, MO; mother, Shirley Detlef, Minot, ND; siblings: Phil (Annette) Stach; Nancy (Steve) Block; Karen (Rich) Berg, all of Minot, ND; mother in-law Lois McKinney, Olathe KS; brother and sister in-laws; Richard Yakle, Chanute, KS; Joyce Jenkins, Olathe, KS; Steve Yakle Honolulu, HI; Mark Yakle, Overland Park, KS; and Mary (Richard) Bates, Manhattan, KS; maternal aunt, Diane Raffay, Altoona, IA; nieces and nephews: Alicia (Andrew) Crosby, Jake Stach, Emmie Stach, Nichole (Chad) Oswalt, Josh (Kaela) Block, Tyler (Salina) Berg, Ryan Bates, and Tyler (Kiley) Bates; several cousins, great nieces and great nephews, and one great-great niece. Mary Beth was preceded in death by her father, Philip Sr.; sister, Susan Stach; maternal grandparents, Francis and Evelyn Zuzulin; and paternal grandparents, Balzar and Minnie Stach. Those attending services for Mary Beth are asked to take necessary safety precautions due to COVID. Rosary will be prayed on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. with the visitation to follow from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church-Wea Bucyrus, KS 66013. Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. For those unable to attend, the service will be live streamed from the church's website https://qhrwea.church. Memorials/donations are preferred to your local animal shelter. Family and friends are encouarged to post their memories and condolences on Mary Beth's tribute wall.