[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 14 (Friday, February 6, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING RON YANKE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. C.L. ``BUTCH'' OTTER

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 6, 2004

  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great personal sadness to 
note the passing of Ron Yanke, a dear friend who left us too soon and 
whose life and contributions truly made the world a better place.
  Ron was a brilliant businessman with boundless energy and passion. He 
was a visionary philanthropist with unending kindness and generosity. 
He was a community leader who deflected attention from his many civic 
achievements. And he was a role model whose honesty, integrity, 
humility, and positive disposition set the standard for everyone he 
met.
  But more than anything, Ron Yanke was a warm and loving husband, 
father, grandfather, and friend. I had the joy and privilege of knowing 
Ron well for much of my life and will forever miss his friendship and 
counsel. There are few men more deserving of recognition for their 
accomplishments and few less disposed than Ron was to seek or accept 
it.
  His entrepreneurial talents helped create jobs for thousands of 
people in Idaho and throughout the Intermountain West with companies 
like Micron Technology, Yanke Machine Shop, RY Timber, Boise Mobile 
Equipment, YMC Inc., and Nashua Homes.
  His selfless nature advanced such worthy causes as the Peregrine 
Fund, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and 
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
  His personal charm and compassion enriched the lives of everyone 
fortunate enough to have known him. Mr. Speaker, I am blessed to be 
counted in that number, and Idaho is blessed to have been home to Ron 
Yanke. I hope you will join me in extending the sympathies of the House 
of Representatives to his wife, Linda, and his family.

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