Gaynee Marie (Johnson) Yarberry

Gaynee Marie (Johnson) Yarberry, 87, left to meet our Lord on Sunday, March 2,2025, after approximately eighteen months of nursing home care at the Life Care Center in Pueblo. She was a couple months shy of her 88th birthday. The only daughter and youngest of three children of Roland Wilhelm Johnson and Mildred Martha “Mikki” (Barnhart) Johnson. Gaynee was born on May 22, 1937, in Pueblo, Colorado, and was a life-long resident of the Steel City.

Gaynee grew up on 10 th Street on Pueblo’s East Side and  attended Centennial High School, graduating in 1955. Gaynee finally had the time to strike up a romantic interest with her lifelong neighbor and friend, David Yarberry after his hitch in the US Marines. Dave and Gaynee married on January 19,1958, at First Presbyterian Church I Pueblo, and they went on to have three sons: Ken, Scott, and Bob, each of whom would marry and have children of their own. Ken married Catherine Nagle in 1986, Scott married JoAnna Collette in 1987, and Bob married Janelle Howard in 1995.

Gaynee was a life-long member of the1st Presbyterian Church of Pueblo. She served numerous tours of duty as a deacon and elder on the Session, serving in various capacities on the missions of the church. She was a devoted housewife. While David was a constant bread winner, Gaynee maintained the family finances and ensured the kids always had food and clothing even during lean times during periods when the Mill was on strike, and Dad had to work by driving a cab or by working as a clerk at 7-11, anything to keep his family fed. It is easy to overlook the devotion Gaynee had for her family, she rarely complained, and always had the talent to make a fun event out of nothing at all. This could include picnic trips to Ophir Creek near San Isabel or to the Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah. She created a full vacation in Colorado Springs housing the family at a motel for a week while the family made day trips to Seven Falls, Santa’s North Pole, and other local tourist attractions. It may sound odd, but a trip to the Citadel Mall in the Springs meant joyful hours riding escalators, something we didn’t have in Pueblo.

David and Gaynee were devoted swim parents and had the sunburns to prove it. Gaynee and David spent hours in the sun supporting their children, working as timers and swim officials. They attended every Bessemer Blue Whale and Central High School swim meet getting out the door at the crack of dawn to be in La Junta, or Rocky Ford, Lamar, or Denver for a swim meet.

Both Gaynee and Dave were committed blood donors to the American Red Cross. They were in the 8-gallon club after years of donations.

Gaynee and Dave were avid bowlers. She enjoyed many years

with women’s leagues and bowling in mixed leagues with her husband. It was a passion they shared all their adult lives  bowling at Belmont Lanes and Bowlero in the Midtown Shopping Center.  Bob and his family inherited their passion for the game.

During their golden years in Pueblo West, after his retirement, David and Gaynee were faithful members of the old-timer’s Coffee group that gathered most days at the Shell Station in Pueblo West. This was often the highlight of their day. They loved traveling on old mountain railroad lines and taking the occasional cruise to places like Alaska and the Mediterranean.

She and Dave enjoyed trips to the Mill Stop, sloppers at Coor’s Tavern, and a passkey sandwich at PassKey. And of course, trips to Dairy Queen for dilly bars or to A&W for root beer floats. These little adventures were part of our life growing up. Gaynee Yarberry is pre-deceased by her parents, her older brothers and sisters-in-law Harold (Mary Alice) and Stan (Myrtis), and her grandson Brett. She is survived by her three sons, Ken (Catherine) Yarberry, Scott (JoAnna) Yarberry, and  Bob (Janelle) Yarberry, and her niece Kathy Denise (Johnson) Markowitz. She also leaves behind three granddaughters, Brittany, Lorna, and Janie; three grandsons, Scotty (and his wife Amber), Pierce, and James; and three great-grandsons, Richie, J.T, and Aries.

Gaynee answered the Lord’s call home and rejoined her husband Of sixty-five years. The family will conduct a memorial service for Gaynee and Dave on April 5, 2025, at 10 a.m., at 1st Presbyterian Church.

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