Michael Yell

Although his life ended much too soon, Michael Yell made a significant impact in the lives of numerous people around him. He was a hard working man who was deeply devoted to providing for his family, and his love for his wife, children, and grandchildren was unmatched. Michael was the sort of person who did things with his whole heart as he believed in doing things right. Resourceful and creative, he was talented and willing to learn new skills while overcoming challenges that came his way. Michael had an adventurous. free-spirited side that made him truly extraordinary. His fun-loving personality and approachable demeanor drew others near with ease. Life will never be the same without Michael here, but the memories he leaves behind will be forever cherished by all who were blessed to know and love him. The 1960s were an exciting time in America when we were making great strides forward. Martin Luther King led the way in civil rights, the young John F. Kennedy was elected as our 35th President of the United States, and it was our nation that put the first man on the moon. Amidst this vibrant time of discovery there was much to celebrate in the lives of Oscar Michael and Esta (Hankins) Yell as they announced the birth of their healthy baby boy on May 1, 1960, in Muskegon, Michigan. Michael Robert was the middle of three children in his family and was surrounded by his older sister, Kerry, and his younger sister, Tammy. His father worked at Howmet Misco while his mother was a busy homemaker. Raised in the family home on the East side of Muskegon, Michael experienced an upbringing that was typical for the youth of his generation. He could often be found out playing with the neighborhood boys. As a student he attended Orchard View Public Schools and enjoyed learning to hunt and fish from his father. It was this exposure that established a lifelong love of the outdoors within Michael. After graduating from high school Michael was eager to experience all that life had in store. He began working for Fredericks Construction doing roofing and siding. This job was a logical fit for Michael as he was very gifted mechanically and could fix almost anything. He also played on softball leagues for a while. New and exciting changes were in store for Michael when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Melissa Scott, and they met through some mutual friends in 1983. A dating relationship ensued, and together they satiated their mutual love for the outdoors as they often went hunting, fishing, or picking wild mushrooms in the woods together. Deeply in love, Michael and Melissa exchanged their vows on August 17, 1985. Shortly thereafter, the couple moved to Hesperia where they bought a house with 20 acres of land. Soon they were blessed with the birth of their son, Michael Scott, in 1987, and in 1994 he was joined by their second son, Kevin, who completed their family of four. Throughout his life Michael was willing to work hard. He found work at Fremont Mobile Homes doing maintenance and installations and then went on to attend Grand Rapids Community College where he received a one year certificate in industrial maintenance. From there Michael began working at Teledyne Continental Motors in Muskegon where he remained for several years before the company began laying off employees. He then found a job in the fabrication department at Lift-Tech where he worked for 17 years until the plant closed down. Still willing to work, Michael took some classes and became a long haul truck driver with Green Transportation. He spent four years as a truck driver, which found him team driving out to California and back nearly every week. This was understandably not easy on his marriage. Michael recently took a new position driving a milk truck for Binkerd Trucking. There was nothing that Michael enjoyed more than being surrounded by his loved ones. As a family they did plenty of camping, and he also taught his boys to hunt using the ammunition he made himself and to fish as well. Over the years Michael owned several motorcycles, and he also had dirt bikes that he rode with his sons. He and his sons later had Harley-Davidsons, and he rode with the Christian Motorcycle Association for a while. A man of faith, Michael and Melissa were members of Countryside Church of Christ in Hesperia where he helped build the churchs steeple. Michael was a very creative builder who often used his talents to build special stands for taxidermy work that Melissa did as a hobby. Because they used wood to heat their home, he and his wife spent countless hours in the woods finding trees to cut down and use as firewood. Although he accomplished so much of which to be proud, Michael Yell was a humble man whose greatest source of pride and joy was found in his 27 year marriage and in the successes of his sons in all aspects of their lives. He worked hard, but he played hard, too, and his love for the outdoors was his lifelong companion. Michael lived fully in the moment and made the most of the days he was given while holding his loved ones near. He will be deeply missed while his memory is forever cherished by his family and friends. Michael R. Yell died on Saturday, November 1, 2014. Michaels family includes his sons, Michael Scott (Ashley) Yell of Hesperia, Kevin Yell of TX; grandson, Nolyn Michael Yell; father, Oscar Michael Yell of Muskegon; sisters, Kerry (Chris) Hanslits of VA, Tammy Gunser of WI and mother of his children, Melissa. Michael was preceded in death by his mother. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2014, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon, 1469 Peck Street. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.