Obit: Yenni, William H. (1905 - 1971)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Yenni, Truitt, Nelson, Wendt, Radwanski, Farin-Taron, Brown, Fuller, Clark, Hikes, Ylvisaker, Rogers, Smith, Babbett, Sobieski, Gilbertson, Lang, Jacobson, Liebzeit, Barnes, Zagozen, Stewart, Gray, Johnson, Wink, Heller, Ward, Greenwood, Wilson, Marden, Quicker, Blystad, Deal, Hetzel, Bechtel, Kruger, Raab, Pribnow, Thomas, Schwarke, Seefeldt, Richelieu, Rosekrans, Lipscy, Grap, Drescher, Van Gorden, Lang, Olson, Hill

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 12/09/1971

Yenni, William H. (26 September 1905 - 4 December 1971)

Masonic rites were held Tuesday afternoon from the Masonic Temple in Neillsville for William H. Yenni, president and a founder of Auto-Test, Inc., of Neillsville.

Mr. Yenni died December 4 at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Mn., at the age of 66. He had entered the hospital early Thursday after returning from a business trip to Tampa, Fl. For several days prior to the trip, Mr. Yenni had suffered from severe nosebleeds. About a year and a half ago, Mr. Yenni underwent open heart surgery in Rochester for repair of a heart valve and an aortic aneurism.

The Masonic ritual was presented by Dr. William A. Olson of Greenwood, a close personal friend and hunting companion. The prayer was given by Truman B. Hill of Greenwood, also a close friend.

A past master of the Neillsville Lodge, No. 163, F&AM, Mr. Yenni was widely known in state Masonic circles. He had served as head of all three Masonic bodies in Neillsville, and was a proficiency expert in the Masonic work.

Mr. Yenni came to Neillsville from Chicago, Il., in 1944 as the president of Weidenhoff, Inc., a subsidiary at that time of of Bowser Inc. The firm manufactured electrical automotive test equipment, and now has a plant in Algoma, Ia. On leaving Weidenhoff, Mr. Yenni set up Auto-Test, Inc., and with two partners established the plant in Neillsville. The interests originally held by the latter two recently were purchased by Harold Lang, a Racine industrialist.

A graduate in electrical engineering of the University of Michigan, Mr. Yenni became an instructor in a Chicago area technical school before entering industry. He was responsible for the design and development of a number of automotive and airplane electrical test equipment. Best known among them, was the “gun-type” timing light, which was widely copied by other manufactures in the field.

William Yenni, the son of William H. and Hallie (Truitt) Yenni, was born September 26, 1905, in Galveston, Tx. He received his early education in southern schools and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1933 with a degree in electrical engineering.

Mr. Yenni I worked in Chicago until 1944 when he moved to Neillsville where he was employed by the Wiedenhoeft Company until 1946, at which time he founded the Auto-Test Corporation. He was president of the firm. His marriage to the former Irene Nelson took place September 1, 1934, in Chicago, Ill. Mrs. Yenni died January 6, 1970.

Mr. Yenni was a member of Neillsville Lodge No. 163, F&AM; Neillsville Chapter No. 66, Royal Arch Masons; Neillsville Commandery No. 36, Knights Templar; Council No. 39 of Marshfield; Carmi Chapter No. 60, OES; and the Neillsville Public Library board; a member of the Marguerite Listeman Foundation board; and a member of the original Listeman Arboretum board.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Larry (Nancy) Wendt of Stoughton and Mrs. LaMonte (Janice) Radwanski of Barron; five sisters, Mrs. Dorothy Farin-Taron of Virginia City, Nv., Mrs. Tom (Hallie) Brown of Pensacola, Fl., Mrs. John (Peggie) Fuller of Birmingham, Ala.; Mrs. Ellis (Janice) Clark of Crossett, Ark. and Mrs. Charles (Julie) Hikes of Pine Grove, Pa.; a brother, Donald Yenni of Indianapolis, In.; and five grandchildren.

Pallbearers were: Joe A. Ylvisaker, Dr. Milton Rosekrans, Donald Lipscy, Wayne F. Grap, Arthur Drescher and Truman B. Hill. “My God and I” was sung by the Job’s Daughters. The group was accompanied by Mrs. Ruth Van Gorden.

Those from out of town who attended the services included the following: Mr and Mrs. Larry Wendt and family and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ylvisaker, Stoughton; Mr. and Mrs. LaMont Radwanski and family and Mr. and Mrs. William O. Rogers, Barron; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Yenni, Indianapolis, In.; Donald Yenni, St. Paul, Mn.; Mr. and Mrs. Banks Clark, Two Rivers; Jeffrey A. Smith and Dale Babbett, Eau Claire; Mr. and Mrs. John Sobieski, Kr., Al Lechleitner and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gilbertson, Chippewa Falls.

John W. Lang, Racine; Aaron S. Jacobson, Chicago, Il.; Harry Liebzeit, Dr. William Olson, Truman B. Hill, Dr. R. L. Barnes, John Zagozen and Mr and Mrs. Wilbur A. Stewart, all of Greenwood; William C. Gray, Coon Rapids, Mn.; Mrs. Willard johnson, E. F. Wink, Edward W. Heller, Oscar Ward, Porter Greenwood, Clair Wendt and Kyle Wilson, all of Marshfield; Kurt C. Marden, Medford; Mr. and Mrs. H. Quicker, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Blystad and Mr. and Mrs. Alby Blystad, La Crosse; Mr. and Mrs. James E. Deal, Kaukauna; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hetzel, Stevens Point; Robert C. Bechtel, Augusta; Harold Hills, Gilbert Kruger, Jesse Raab, J. C. Pribnow, Jr. R. Thomas, Frank Schwarke and Myrtie Seefeldt, all of Loyal; c. C. Richelieu, Wheaton, Il.; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gilbertson, Black River Falls; Harold and Ruth Wendt, Owen.

The body will be cremated and burial will take place later in the Neillsville City Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were made by Georgas Funeral Home.