Yost, Merle Kieth 94, retired businessman and investor, passed away on October 26, 2015, in Wichita, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, John B. Yost and Nina C. (Turner) Yost. Merle is survived by his wife of 63 years, Louise (Laufenberger) Yost. Also surviving, three children: son, Steve (Emily) of Grantville, KS, son, Eric of Wichita, and daughter, Michele of Wichita; four grandchildren, Christopher Garrett of Trabuco Canyon, CA, Eric Garrett (Ali) of Anaheim, CA, Jordan Yost (Claire) of Wichita, and Alissa Yost of Wichita; one great-grandson, Steven Evans, Jr.; a brother, Lowell "Shorty" Yost (Darlene); a sister, Johnell Weddle (Don); and numerous nieces and nephews. Merle was born on March 6, 1921, in Vesper (Lincoln County), Kansas. After the family farm had been lost in the Depression, the Yosts eventually settled in Wichita. Merle graduated from Wichita's East High School in 1938. After high school, Merle worked on the line at Boeing, eventually becoming a supervisor. In World War II, he joined the Army Air Corps, and he was proud to have flown in the Pacific theater. After the war, Merle attended Wichita University, and in 1951, met a young lady named Louise Lorraine Laufenberger. They were married on August 31, 1952. Soon thereafter, Merle and Louise started adding to their family: Steve was born in 1953, Eric in 1955, and Michele in 1957. In 1953, Merle was invited by Fred Gorges to join with him in a used car business located at the corner of Pawnee and Broadway. In 1956, Merle's good friend Bob Moore asked him to serve as the first general manager of Bob Moore Oldsmobile, which was Bob's first car dealership. Merle worked for Bob for seven years. In 1963, Merle purchased his own dealership, Merle Yost Plymouth. Soon thereafter, he started Merle Yost Chrysler. He sold those dealerships in 1969, and after a few years away from the business, Merle purchased the Ford dealership then known as Price Auto Service in downtown Wichita. He changed the name of the dealership to Merle Yost Ford, and owned it for six years. When Merle retired in 1979, he sold Merle Yost Ford. Merle was retired for 36 years, and enjoyed many rounds of golf, a fair amount of traveling, and spent a lot of time with his children and grandchildren. He and Louise were regular attenders, until health intervened, of Eastminster Presbyterian Church. He also kept up with current affairs, and watched a lot of baseball. In his last days, he was very pleased to see the Kansas City Royals doing well; when told last weekend that they had earned another trip to the World Series, Merle smiled and winked. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2015, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (in the Chapel), 1958 North Webb Road in Wichita. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the ALS Association (Lou Gehrig's disease), 3450 N. Rock Road, Suite 211, Wichita, KS, 67226; or PALS Animal Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 47342, Wichita, KS, 67201. Share tributes online at www.dlwichita.com