Andy Yoder

Andrew (Andy) C Yoder, was born to Christ and Rosa Yoder in Kokomo, Indiana, on March 1, 1938. He passed away peacefully at his home in Florida, with his wife and Hospice caring for him, on April 27, 2018. Andy was a gentle giant, loving, caring, kind and compassionate towards others and loved by so many. Upon moving to Cookeville, Tennessee, he was a member of the Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ, where he served as Deacon for several years. Later, he became a member of the Willow Avenue congregation before moving to Florida. Now, he was a member of the Brooksville Church of Christ, Brooksville, Florida. After leaving high school, he served his country as a Conscientious Objector, and was assigned to a Veterans Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana, for two years. He then moved to Amboy, Indiana, where he became a share-cropper. Later, he was able to buy the farm he lived on. Through the years, he was able to buy most of the land that he began farming, and raised corn and soybeans. In 1962, he became an outside salesman for the John Deere Company in Kokomo, Indiana, selling tractors and equipment. In 1970, Pioneer Hybrid Seed Corn Company came and asked him to become a seed corn breeder. While doing this, he hired 600-700 teenagers to detassle corn each summer for the next 10 years. Andy was pictured in a 1971 Farm Journal Magazine for inventing the first 8-Row wide corn planter to be used for wide rows instead of the original narrow rows. Shortly afterward, John Deere Company visited him to see the planter, and later they began manufacturing them. In 1973, he began a new company on his farm called Yoder Equipment Agricultural Sales, providing equipment, parts and everything the farmers needed to enable them to plant and harvest their crops. In 1980-82, he invented and patented two pieces of farm equipment and manufactured them on his farm for several years. After moving to Cookeville, Tennessee, he and his wife opened their first Subway on South Jefferson Avenue in 1988. He later became an agricultural sales representative selling after-market tractor parts to dealers. His company, located in Iowa, had not become known in the south yet. So he developed the territories in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia for 16 years. He had five sales reps working for him when he retired on his 70th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents and infant brother, Henry Yoder. He is survived by his wife, Anna, and children, Marcia (Sam) Brown of Sparta, Tennessee, Michelle Conley of Fishers, Indiana, Todd (Deanna Gifford) Picton of Vista, California, and Julie (Jeff) Twiss of Broomfield, Colorado. Grandchildren are Michael Brown, Sierra Conley, Jared Myers, Stephanie Myers, Bryce Picton, Genevieve Twiss and Elliot Twiss. Funeral services will be held Tuesday May 1 at 11 a.m. at Willow Avenue Church of Christ with Clarence Deloach and Kent Heaton officiating. Entombment will follow in Crest Lawn Cemetery, Andy's family will receive friends Monday at Willow Avenue Church of Christ from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 10 a.m. until service time at the Church. Pallbearers are Jim Briggs, Dan Huffines, Art Montgomery, Phil Philips, Tom Spohnholtz and David Vaughn. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please donate to your favorite charity. Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements (931) 526-6111. You may share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com. .