YACKLEY, LEO A. FAMILY

Leopold Arnold Yackley was born in Lisle, Illinois, on March 24, 1903, the oldest son of Joseph F. and Mary (Hertzold) Yackley. Leo’s great-grandfather, John Yackley, and his wife, Helena, and their four children came to the U.S. in 1845 and settled on 90 acres of land west of the east branch of the DuPage River and south of the Burlington tracks in Lisle.

In 1927, Leo married Helen E. Binder of Naperville, and they rented 130 acres from her father, Leonard J. Binder, just west of the intersection of Routes 34 and 59 on Route 34 on the north side of the road. (This land is now adjacent to Fox Valley Shopping Center and has several brick office buildings built on it.)

In 1946, they bought 106 acres from the Binder estate and in 1947 moved into the Binder home on the southwest corner of Routes 34 and 59. Mr. Yackley farmed this land until his death in 1955. Helen continued to live there and rented the farm to her son-in-law. In 1960 Helen married Norman E. Harrison, and they farmed the land until his retirement in 1973, when most of it was sold to developers. Helen kept five acres surrounding their home and buildings and continues to live there. Mr. Harrison died in 1982.

They Yackleys had two daughters: Shirley Mae, born April 12, 1930, married David C. Auble of Barlett, Illinois, in 1951. They lived in the area until 1973 when the family moved to Spokane, Washington. Their children are: Steven Jay born May 18, 1955; Deborah Sue born June 26, 1959; and Scott David born February 25, 1962.

The other daughter is Norma Jean, born September 14, 1933, who married Neval N. Yeates of Kankakee in 1954. They lived with her mother on the death of there father and rented the farm until 1960 when they moved into a home they built just west of Helen’s home. They have three daughters: Teri Dee born July 17, 1956, who married John M. Leatherbury of Michigan in 1980; Candace Jean born May 15, 1960, and Holly Day born November 12, 1964.

Leo was a member of the Granger School District No. 90 school board for many years. Leo and Helen were charter members of the Naperville Saddle Club and active in the Rural Life Progress Club. Helen was a charter member of the Busy Workers 4-H Club, one of the first four 4-H clubs in DuPage County. It was chartered in 1922. Helen was the first of three generations to support and participate in 4-H club work. She also initiated three generations of membership in the Homemakers Extension Association.