Henry N. Yencer Jr.

Henry Newman Yencer, Jr. 90 of Kearney, Nebraska, formerly Grand Island, Nebraska, went to his Heavenly Home on December 10th, 2025. A celebration of life service for Henry and Carol Ann (7/6/2020) will be held on January 17, 2026, at the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island, NE at 10:30 a.m. Lunch and fellowship will follow in the church hall. Entombment of his ashes will be in the First Presbyterian Church Columbarium. In leu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Carmel Home, or the family for a later designation. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements. Henry Newman Yencer, Jr. was born January 14th, 1935, in Hartford City, IN. He grew up in Hartford City on Franklin Street. He proudly referred to himself as a West Side Boy. Part of a group of young boys who relied on each other for support and friendship. He graduated from Hartford City High School, a devoted Airedale, excelling in basketball and baseball. After high school he entered the military. He trained in Fort Benning GA before being transferred to Fort Ord in Seaside CA. When his service obligation was finished, he returned to Hartford City where he began his career with Overhead Door Corporation which lasted over 40 years. His career took him to Athens, GA, Waterloo, IA, and Grand Island, NE. In his early years at Overhead Door Corporation, Henry was instrumental in the creation of the first product manual used by the company. As his career developed, so did his expertise and knowledge in garage doors, which he continued to use throughout his later years of life. He was famous for troubleshooting garage door issues not only for his family and friends, but also for the assisted living facility that he called home. He met Carol Ann Clements through a mutual friend and bonded over their shared birthdays. They married on April 24th, 1960, in Montpelier, IN and shared their lives for 60 years before Carol Ann's death in 2020. Henry's passions included cars, golf, and his family. He and Carol wintered in California allowing him to play golf year-round. He fulfilled his dream of playing some of the most iconic golf courses in California including Pebble Beach, The Olympic Club, and Spyglass. Henry was an avid fan of the GI Islanders, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the San Francisco 49ers. He was a proud and practicing member of the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island, NE. The church was a large part of Henry and Carol's life. Their friends, the “gang”, were constant and long-lasting friends, traveling to Branson each year for their annual fishing trip. Henry and Carol were proud parents to Tracey and Holly, and even prouder grandparents to Nicole, Megan, Ali, Amanda, and Samantha. While he loved his girls, Henry was over the moon when his great grandsons were born. Those left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Tracey (Tim) Shada of Kearney, NE and Holly (Tom) Rathman of Redwood Shores, CA; granddaughters Nicole (Chris) Balestrieri, Megan Shada, Ali (Dante) Lanza, Amanda (Zane) Williamson, Samantha Rathman; great grandsons Rexten and Axel Williamson, and Dean and Miles Lanza, and several nieces and nephews. He is proceeded in death by his wife of 60 years, Carol Ann, sister Patricia Winder, in-laws Imogene (Arthur) Needler, Lloyd (Francis) Clements, Robert (Geri) Clements, Roger (Madonna) Clements, and nephews Scott Winder, Art Needler, and Monte Needler. Henry was gently taken care of later in life by the wonderful caregivers and staff at Kinship Pointe and Mt. Carmel in Kearney, NE.

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Henry N. Yencer Jr.

January 14, 1935 - December 10, 2025