Memorial Park Cemetery, Garfield County, Oklahoma

The funeral for Vernon E. Yates, 82, will be 2 p.m. Mon-day at Davis Park Christian Church. The Rev. Alan Seibel, Norman Lamb, Jerry Runyan and Jack Herron will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are by Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.

He was born Sept. 17, 1923, in Enid to Robert and Jennie Lee Cooper Yates and died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2005, at Integris Bass Pavilion, Enid.

He graduated from Enid High School in 1941 and was Enid High School’s first basketball All-Stater in 1940. In 1941 he was the state’s leading scorer. He also played on Enid’s first American Legion baseball team in 1939. He played basketball at Oklahoma State University under Coach Henry Iba.

He made the All-Missouri Valley basketball team in 1942, 1943, 1948 and 1949 and was honorable mention All-America in 1946. He played for Oklahoma State in the NCAA national finals in 1949 against Kentucky. In 1944-45, he played on Phillip 66 AAU teams that won national titles.

He married Barbara Kimbell Dec. 1, 1945, in Independence, Kan.

He turned down a professional basketball career in 1944 with the Zollner Pistons, now the Detroit Pistons, and in 1949 turned down Chicago Staggs and Washington Capitals to begin his coaching career.

From 1949 to 1957, he coached at Guymon High School. In 1957, he moved to Las Cruces, N.M. After a short venture in private business, he returned to Oklahoma in 1961 to Fairfax High School, where he helped organize and start the girls basketball program. After eight years at Fairfax, he moved to Ponca City High School and in 1973 was an All-State basketball coach. He completed six years at Ponca City in 1974 and retired from teaching in 1983 after 34 years.

He was named one of the All Time Greats of Oklahoma by the Jim Thorpe Award Committee in 1975, All-Decade Team 1940-1950 and Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame in 1978. He had lived in Enid since 1995.

Surviving are two daughters, Ruth Ann Lingenfelter of Helena and Debra Wright of Angel Fire, N.M.; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, two brothers and two sisters.

Condolences may be made online at ladusauevans.com.

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