Louis "Yogi" Winey

Louis “Yogi” Winey finally clocked out after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a legacy of grit, grease, laughter, and a sweet tooth that could rival any cartoon bear.

Louis Carlin Winey was born on December 17, 1957, in Denison, Iowa, to Carlin and Marian (Starek) Winey. He attended Ar-We-Va High School and graduated with the Class of 1976. Following high school, Louis began working at Marvin’s Provisions, where he handled a variety of responsibilities, both inside the business and on the road as a truck driver.

On October 29, 1983, Yogi was united in marriage to Dawn Henningsen at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. The couple made their home in Vail and were blessed with two daughters, Nicole and Rachel. Yogi later worked at Farmland Foods before he and Dawn started their own business, offering photography services and baking cakes and other treats for special occasions. Eventually, he embarked on a new venture, founding Bears Builders, where he used his builder’s license to rebuild and sell salvaged cars.

Known far and wide as “Yogi”—a nickname earned not through wisdom, but through a strong resemblance in both charm and snack enthusiasm to that famous picnic basket bandit—he lived life his own way, usually with a wrench in one hand and a doughnut in the other. His work with salvage cars suited him perfectly; if something was broken, bent, or barely holding together, he saw potential where others saw scrap. Friends and family knew that if Yogi couldn’t fix it, it was probably time to let it go—but more often than not, he could, using equal parts skill, creativity, and stubborn determination.

Yogi had a deep appreciation for the outdoors. He enjoyed muzzleloader and bow hunting, as well as fishing—especially when it meant time spent with family. He took great pride in gardening, growing pumpkins and watermelons for many years and selling them along Highway 30 in Vail. He also loved preparing food for those he cared about, often smoking meats and deer sausage for family dinners and gatherings.

A proud grandfather, Yogi truly lit up around his grandchildren. Whether taking them fishing, sharing stories, or simply making them laugh, those were among his most treasured moments. If there were fish to catch or jokes to tell, Yogi was all in.

He never met a stranger and rarely met a silence he couldn’t fill. Conversations with Yogi weren’t short—they were experiences. Whether you had five minutes or an hour, you were likely to walk away with a story, a laugh, or both. He also held a deep appreciation for life’s finer things—namely doughnuts and ice cream—and firmly believed both were acceptable meals at any time of day.

Yogi passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, March 27, 2026, surrounded by his loving family, at the age of 68. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Diana Winey.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Dawn Winey of Vail; daughters, Nicole Winey and Rachel (Vinny) Kreutz, all of Vail; four grandchildren, Azalea, Violet, Asher, and Alister; along with many other relatives and friends.

Visitation with the family greeting friends will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2026, at Huebner Funeral Home in Denison. Memorials may be directed to his family, to be used in support of his grandchildren’s future education.

Yogi may be gone from our sight, but his stories, his laughter, and his larger-than-life presence will remain. And while he’s no longer here to raid the snack table, we’re all pretty sure heaven just got a little louder, a little busier, and a lot more interesting. He will be deeply missed—and probably still blamed whenever someone sneaks the last doughnut.