By Vicky Wedig
Editor
W. Gordon Yadon was known for his uncanny ability to recall facts about the history of Delavan and its people and his respect for everyone.
“His knowledge of Delavan history … I don’t know if anybody could ever replace that,” Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis said Monday.
Nieuwenhuis said Yadon respected everyone and was respected by everyone he knew.
“I cannot recall him ever having a bad word about anyone,” said Delavan Town Board supervisor and former Police Chief Larry Malsch.
Yadon died Friday at the age of 90.
His daughter, Caryl Eyre, a registered nurse from Cleveland, was by his side in hospice care at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn.
“It was a good passing,” said his son, Doug Yadon. “He wasn’t in any pain.”
Doug Yadon said his father’s health began to decline when he fell and broke his hip in the middle of the night June 2. He was taken to Lakeland Medical Center for a few days and then was transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center where he was admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“He got world-class care up there at St. Luke’s,” Doug Yadon said. “It was just incredible the attention he got.”
Doctors tried to stabilize Yadon’s breathing, “but it just never got much better,” he said.
After 13 days at St. Luke’s, Gordon Yadon was returned to Lakeland Medical Center early last week and admitted to its hospice unit where he died Friday.
“It was bad there that first day, but he was ready to go,” Doug Yadon said. “He got first-class care the last two weeks.”
Doug Yadon said Eyre returned to Delavan from Ohio the day after their father fell.
“She stayed right with him and slept in a chair,” said Doug, who relieved his sister with frequent visits. “He was never alone.”
Doug Yadon said up until the last four days of his life, Gordon accepted visitors and was able to talk to family and friends.
“He was a special guy,” he said. “His mind was really sharp.”
The historian’s history
Gordon Yadon began freelancing for the Delavan Enterprise around 1950. He served as the paper’s sports editor from 1955 to 1970, wrote the book “History of Delavan,” published a series of historical tabloids for Delavan’s 150th anniversary and wrote articles on 130 local World War II veterans for the 50th anniversary of the war. He wrote a weekly history column, “Vignettes,” for the Enterprise until 2011.
Writing is only one of the many careers Yadon had. His resume includes war hero, podiatrist, postmaster and arborist.
Yadon was born at his parents’ home on Racine Street in 1923. His father, Marshal Yadon, left his mother, Stella Yadon, to raise their six children during the Depression when Gordon was a boy.
“He had a tough upbringing,” Doug Yadon said.
Gordon Yadon and his only brother served in World War II. His brother was killed in the war in an aircraft accident, Doug Yadon said, and Gordon was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after he was shot.
“He told me the circumstances of how he was shot, and he was a hero,” Doug Yadon said.
However, Gordon Yadon would be the last person to call himself a hero.
“Dad was just a tremendously humble man,” Doug Yadon said. “He never wanted any recognition. He was almost embarrassed about it.”
After the war, Gordon married Dorothy Madar. They had four children – Caryl, Pamela, Doug and Robert.
Robert, the youngest sibling, died about 10 years ago, and Pam died after an arduous battle with ovarian cancer about four years ago.
Doug Yadon said his mother’s health began to decline at that time.
“When my sister Pam died, my mother was never the same,” he said.
Dorothy Yadon was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease and stayed first at Rosewood Manor in Delavan and then at RidgeStone Village where her husband visited her daily.
“He was just really totally devoted to her,” Doug Yadon said. “All our lives, Mom waited on him. The last five years, he totally waited on her, and always made sure she was very well taken care of. It was incredible the devotion he had to his wife.”
Dorothy Yadon died in September 2011 at the age of 84 at Willowfield Nursing Home.
Gordon Yadon also attended and graduated from the Chicago College of Podiatry before being recalled to active duty in the Korean War where he served as a podiatrist on the USS Glynn, a naval troop carrier. Yadon set up a private practice in podiatry for one year, then life took another interesting turn.
“I was appointed postmaster,” he said in 2010. “At that time it was more of a political appointment where anyone could hold the position without experience.”
He served at Delavan’s postmaster from 1954 to 1985 and among his accomplishments was the hiring of the first Hispanic letter carrier in Delavan four decades ago. Harvey Gonzalez retired from the Delavan Post Office in 2009 after 39 years of delivering the mail.
Yadon was instrumental in creating the arboretum in Delavan along with Paul Lange in 1962. He was the city arborist for many years and served as president of the Parks Board before it was incorporated into the Parks Department and the director of the arboretum.
He also served a stint on the school board and was on the Spring Grove Cemetery Board. He emceed the city’s Arbor Day celebration at the arboretum and its Memorial Day celebration at Spring Grove Cemetery. He also had extensive knowledge of the city’s circus history.
“Dad liked to be involved in a lot of things,” Doug Yadon said. “He loved the community, the park system, the trees.”
Nieuwenhuis served with Gordon on the cemetery board and said Yadon always thought things through before sharing his opinion.
“He was just a good ol’ soul that will be sorely missed,” Nieuwenhuis said.
Doug Yadon said although his father’s death is difficult, his family appreciates the years they had with him. The family celebrated Gordon’s 90th birthday with him at Lake Lawn Resort on Feb. 7 and continued to play his favorite big band music for his through his last days.
“We had some wonderful times,” he said.
Enterprise staff writer Tracy Ouellette contributed to this report.
