William A. Yurs, 82 of Elkhorn, died Friday, April 12, 2013 at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla. He was born Aug. 16, 1930, in Elgin, Ill.
Bill grew up on his family dairy farm in Plato Center, Ill. He graduated from Plato Center High School in 1948. After high school, Bill worked with his brother, Charles on the family farm until 1950.
He married Marilyn Martin of Elgin, Illinois on Sept. 2, 1950. For the next ten years Bill and Marilyn owned and operated their own farm in Plato Center. In 1960 they moved their family to Elkhorn, where they purchased a dairy farm and operated it for the next fifty years until his death. For the past 15 years, Bill was also a dealer for the Golden Harvest Seed Company.
Bill was a member of the Bethel United Methodist Church in Elkhorn where he served as a trustee for many years. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Consumers Co-op of Walworth County. Bill was a member and held several positions of leadership in the Holstein Association. He was also a founding member and director of the National Red and White Holstein Dairy Cattle Association.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; son, Dennis (Susan) Yurs of Maui, Hawaii; three daughters, Brenda Yurs of River Falls, Laura (Wayne) Dober-Yurs of Elkhorn and Nancy (Douglas) Lee of Punta Gorda, Fla; nine grandchildren, Jason (Jennifer) Yurs, Adam (Jennifer) Yurs, Aaron (Erin) Mason, Garrett Bunyard, Justin Dober, Jessica (Jesse) Dunham, Bradley Dober, Maggie Lee, and Alex Lee; 13 great grandchildren; sister Alice Arians of Elgin, Ill.; brother Donald Yurs of Elgin, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Rose Yurs, sister Dorothy Brooks, and brother Charles Yurs.
Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at the Southern Lakes Evangelical Free Church in Elkhorn, with the Revs. Sean Sweetman and Joyce Rich officiating. Visitation was from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Home and Crematory, 730 N. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn. Burial was at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Elkhorn.
Contributions may be made to the William A. Yurs Scholarship Fund, c/o of The People’s Bank, 837 N. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn WI 53121.
An online guestbook is available at www.haaselockwoodfhs.com.
