Anita Ruth Yeska

Anita Ruth Yeska, 91, of South Sioux City, passed away on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at a local nursing facility.  At her request, there will be no funeral service.  She asked that family and friends remember her in their own way.  

Anita was born on April 12, 1931 on a homestead outside of Dodson, Montana to Lloyd Eugene Sorkness and Ruth (Jensen) Sorkness.  She grew up during the Great Depression, the youngest of 5 children.  She attended school in Dodson and graduated high school in 1949.  She attended college for a year, and then met Robert Arthur Yeska and married him in Chinook, Montana on June 17, 1950.  They lived in Saco, Montana until 1955, when they moved to Sioux City. 

Anita gave birth to 4 children.  She returned to college after the birth of her youngest and graduated from Morningside with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1966.  She began teaching in Sioux City, first at Cooper Elementary, then at McKinley, and finally at Sunnyside.  She returned to college and graduated with a Master’s degree in teaching in 1988.  She retired from teaching in 1993.  It was around this time that Anita and her husband Robert, after separating for several years, finally divorced.  She then went to work for Evenstart in the South Sioux City public schools.  She retired from there in 1999, and 2 years later she moved to South Sioux City. 

During her retirement years, Anita engaged in new activities.  She taught herself to paint, starting with a grey wolf, then moving to women of all types.  She had a gallery show at the Sioux City Art Center that featured her paintings of women.  She also started writing spiritual verses, which she put into booklets that she shared with family and friends.  In addition, she composed music to go with some of her verses. 

Anita is survived by her sons, Robert “Bob” (Debra) Yeska of Salem, Oregon and William “Bill” (Vicky) Yeska of Sioux City; daughter, Marie Yeska of South Sioux City; 5 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Allen; ex-husband, Robert; and all of her siblings.