Mernice (Sonny) H. Yenney

Mernice (Sonny) H. Yenney of Mount Carroll IL, passed away Wednesday December 7th, at Morrison Community Hospital in Morrison IL. A funeral service will be held at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Mt. Carroll, on Saturday, December 17th at 11 a.m. Visitation will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday, December 16th and one hour prior to the funeral service on Saturday. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Mt. Carroll.

Mernice was born September 21st, 1928 in Savanna IL, eldest son to George and Viola (Ewalt) Yenney. He attended Chestnut Park, Walnut Grove and Savanna High schools. His career began as a farmhand and then in 1945 he took employment with the Milwaukee Railroad. By 1948 Mernice began working at the Savanna Ordnance Depot and also joined the Illinois National Guard, Company K, 129th Infantry, 44th Div. On June 19th, 1949 he would wed his loving bride, Marilyn P. Gothard, with whom he'd share the next 73 years. In January 1952 Mernice was called to active duty, serving in Japan and Korea. He received his honorable discharge in September 1953 at the rank of SGT.

Savanna would be home until moving to Mt. Carroll in 1970 were he would build a new house for his family. In 1975 Mernice took early retirement from the Army Depot, but his working days were not over. Future employment included many years with MacLean-Fogg, seasonal work at Swiss Colony, and from 1988-1994, employment by the city of Mt. Carroll for care of Oak Hill Cemetery. In addition, Mernice dedicated over forty years of service to the Carroll County Sheriff's Radio/Auxiliary Patrol, providing security for area events with his favorite being the Carroll County Fair.

Mernice enjoyed carpentry work, woodworking, and landscaping. Yet his greatest love was that of camping and his cats whom he affectionately referred to as "the kids". He especially enjoyed the over thirty years spent with Marilyn as members of The Good Sam Camping Club.

Mernice is survived by his son, Edwin (Marcia) Yenney; daughter, Cynthia Wojak; daughter, Denise (Jerry) Niles; eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. A sister, Viola (Don) Zink and sister, Georgia (Allen) Tripp.

Mernice is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Marilyn; his grandson, Chrysagon; two brothers, Keith Yenney and Franklin (Cy) Yenney and one sister, Betty Miller.