Decatur, Illinois

Decatur, Illinois
Curve-In, Fairview Avenue

Monday, March 6, 2023

The Yelverton Twins Have Both Passed Away


The adolescent Yelvertons enjoyed playing Football for the Douglas MacArthur High School Generals, as well as Donald being involved in Wrestling as a sophomore and Ronald in Orchestra as a freshman.

Back in 2015, we discovered that one of the Yelverton twins had died 40 years earlier.

Donald Gene Yelverton. Donald Yelverton, 28, of Santa Ana, Calif., formerly of Decatur, died Tuesday night November 18, 1975 in a traffic accident in San Jose, Calif. Don Yelverton was born in Decatur, a son of Buford and Katie Yelverton. Surviving are his wife, Jane; sons, Jimmy and John, at home; daughter, Julie, at home; brother, Ronald D., of Tustin, Calif.; sister, Linda Paschal of Burkley, MO.; mother of Warner, Okla. 

Now it has come to our attention that Donald's brother, Ronald died four (4) years ago.

Ronald D. Yelverton, age 72 of Highland, IL, died Sunday, January 20, 2019, at San Gabriel Memory Care in Highland, IL.

Ron was born January 13, 1947, in Decatur, IL, the son of Buford and Katie (nee Virden) Yelverton.

On October 05, 1996, he married Cynthia A. "Cindy" Buehne in Edwardsville, IL.

He was a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church. 


Ron was born in Decatur, IL and graduated Douglas MacArthur High School in 1965. He joined the US Marine Corps for 10 years in Aviation Management., with duty in Vietnam. He earned a B.S. degree from SIUE. He worked at McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft for over 10 years, C.S.C. in Champaign, IL from 1993 to 1996, and worked from 2000 - 2012 with Dept.. of Defense at Scott Air Force Base as a Contracting Officer. Ron loved the St. Louis Cardinals and fell 5 short of visiting all the major league ball parks. He enjoyed travel to Alaska, Panama Canal, and National Parks, especially the Grand Canyon. He loved spending time with friends, reading and was a presidential history buff, reading presidential biographies. 

Survivors include eight survivors:
Wife - Cynthia A. "Cindy" Yelverton nee Buehne, Highland, IL
Son - John J. "JJ" Yelverton, Saint Louis, MO
Daughter - Jodie M. (Tucker) Bauman, Madras, OR
Grandchild - Michael Bauman, Madras, OR
Grandchild - Becca Bauman, Madras, OR
Brother In-Law - Douglas F. Paschal, Highland, IL
Nieces and Nephews - Numerous.

He was preceded in death by :
Father - Burford J. Yelverton - Died 7/30/1974
Mother - Katie L. Yelverton nee Virden - Died 12/20/1993
Brother - Donald G. Yelverton (twin to Ron) - Died 11/18/1975
Sister - Linda Paschal - Died 5/22/2014

Interment was at Highland City Cemetery in Highland, IL.

We are sorry
 these familiar faces 
of the Class of 1965
are no longer with us.