Leland Yates

Leland George Yates
November 6, 1949 – June 19, 2026

Leland George Yates passed away Friday, June 19, 2026, at his home from the effects of leukemia. He was 76.

Leland was born November 6, 1949, in Brigham City, UT to Joseph Lewis Yates and Christena Engberson Yates. They brought him home to the family farm in Harper (between Brigham City and Honeyville). He was a middle child of eleven children. His brothers became his best friends throughout his school years. He attended Lincoln Elementary and Box Elder Junior High and High Schools in Brigham City. One of the best memories in junior high was playing intramural sports because the kids had been grouped according to which part of town they lived. His team became “The Harper Hillbillies,” and they had the funnest of times.

At a young age, Leland loved to study the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was asked to be the LDS seminary president his senior year. He was friendly and outgoing and was voted Box Elder’s “Most Preferred Boy” in 1968. He also received the Able S. Rich Teaching Scholarship.

Leland went to one quarter of school at Utah State before going on a mission for The Church of Latter-day Saints to the England Southwest Mission. After his mission, went to school at Weber State and had part-time jobs at Ogden City Schools and the BYU Adult Education Center (also in Ogden). He completed his generals and transferred to BYU for winter semester in 1973 and got another part-time job at BYU Food Services on the money vending route. He enlisted in the Utah National Guard because he had a low draft number. In the spring of 1974, he met “the greatest girl of my life,” referring to Janene. She had just graduated from BYU. Their first date was on her birthday at the Homestead Restaurant in Midway, UT. They dated every day the next week before he moved home for the summer. Then it was every weekend throughout that summer, with the exception of his two weeks at summer camp with the Guard. They became engaged August 11. He went back into school at BYU for fall semester after working as a tour guide and playing the role of “Leland Stanford” at the Golden Spike Historic Site. He completed a degree in social work and psychology just before he and Janene got married, which was on December 20, 1974, in the Provo LDS Temple.

After completing the first year program at Utah Trade Technical College in the carpentry program, Leland decided to change course and pursue teaching; he went back to school at BYU and completed an Elementary Teaching degree in 1976.
He was hired by the Weber School District where he taught sixth grade at Green Acres Elementary School for two years before he was hired by Box Elder School District. From then on until retirement he taught at Fielding, Mountain View in Brigham City, Willard , and Perry teaching grades three through six with fourth grade being his favorite.
Janene and Leland had a home built just across the street from the family farm on the east side of the road in Harper. They had their first child when living in Provo and then six more came into the family, all born in Brigham City, for a total of five boys and two girls.

Leland did various jobs during the summers, including vending at Thiokol, working on a surveying crew in Brigham City, making saddle blankets for Utah Woolen Mills, Mosquito Abatement work, and lastly, doing a lawn mowing business along with his boys for many years all the way up until a month before his passing, He loved doing work outdoors, especially around his home. In summers, he would often not be done until the later hours of the evening, after a day of mowing, watering the lawn, planting and watering trees, trimming his property, or working on various other landscaping projects. Leland took great pride in taking care of and making his home and property look nice. He also helped with Janene’s day care business after his retirement from Box Elder School District.

Leland served in many callings in his church. He always had an unwavering testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ since his youth, and it has had a special place in his heart. He had a unique passion for studying the scriptures and other religious books, and had a gift and love of writing and talking about the Gospel.

He had a special and unique way of connecting with people wherever he went. He enjoyed making conversation, giving compliments, and seeking to make people smile and feel comfortable and valued.

He loved doing anything he could to help his family. He was always willing to drop his own personal interests at hand and respond to the call or request for helping from his boys or daughters, whether it be with moving, car troubles, errands, help with mowing, etc.

He enjoyed doing things with his family, including road trips, sitting around the campfire, watching BYU football with his boys and grandsons, Airbnb stays, going up the canyon, and discussing different topics; and during the last seven or eight years up until the last month of his life, he always looked forward to weekend movie nights watching the “Oldies” classics with his wife and son. During these activities, he often sought to instill good principles and virtues into the lives of his kids and grandkids.
He is preceded in death by son, Landon Yates; parents Joseph and Chrissie Yates; and parents-in-law Malcolm and Ida Mae Christiansen.

Surviving is his wife, Janene, and six of his seven children: Jonathan Leland Yates, Janalee Crandall, James Benjamin (Mari) Yates, Justin David Yates, Teresa Marie (Chad) Hayes, Tyler Malcolm (Jessica) Yates and 15 grandchildren.

A viewing will be held Friday, June 26, 2026, from 12:00-1:30pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 620 North 300 East, Brigham City. A short service will follow in the chapel. Interment will follow in the Calls Fort Cemetery in Harper.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.myers-mortuary.com

Services entrusted to Myers Mortuary of Brigham City.