Verna Mae Yoakum went home to be with her Lord and family who were waiting for her on January 13, 2016. Funeral services were held Saturday, January 16 at the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Harrisonville with burial in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville.

Verna was born on September 8, 1929 in Longwood, Wisconsin, the daughter of Floyd H. and Laura (Matthews) Gould, and came to Missouri at an early age. She was a 1947 graduate of Harrisonville High School. On June 1, 1947, she married Clifford Yoakum, who had just returned from serving his country in Europe. They made their home in Harrisonville until 1958, when they moved to raise their family on a farm in the country. Their family consisted of 4 boys, Richard, Donald, Mark, and David. Susan, her only daughter, would be born after moving to the farm.

Verna did everything that a farm wife does; cooking, canning, cleaning, planting gardens and flowers. She loved her flowers. She also loved to sew, and made most of her daughter's dresses, including her wedding dress. Taking her children to school for practice was another task, whether it be band, basketball, football or cheerleading. She was very proud of the fact that she had two Eagle Scouts who both received their God and Country Award. In addition to these activities, she made sure that everyone was in church on Sunday. Verna was an active member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church for almost 60 years and was really proud that all of her family was saved there.

She loved Southern Gospel music, and her family supplied her with all the CDs and DVDs she could play on a given day. She truly loved her family and enjoyed the grandkids' and great grandkids' visits. After her family was grown, she worked as a secretary and then in retail at the Family Center. She was as proud of the girls in her family, as she was the boys. She often bragged on her sons' choices of great helpmates.

Verna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Clifford and son, Rich. She is survived by three sons, Donald Yoakum (Marilyn), Archie, Missouri, Mark Yoakum (Pam), Colleyville, Texas, and David Yoakum (Sheryl), Kimberling City, Missouri; one daughter, Susan Yoakum, Blue Springs, Missouri; daughter-in-law, Vicki Yoakum, Topeka, Kansas; nephew, Gary Roach, Independence, Missouri; 19 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.