Saturday, July 5, 2008

Feke and Yott founder dies

Lee Yott, who owned and operated Feke and Yott Supermarkets for 31 years, died June 15.

Brian Wilson of The Flint Journal reports:

"[He] worked on the kill floor of a slaughterhouse as a six year old. He dropped out of school after the eighth grade. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in World War II

"Yott opened his first supermarket in 1948 after his friend Al Feke won a new house in a General Motors raffle.

"The house was sold and a business was born. Eventually, the two opened nine area stores, which were sold off to various other grocers, including Kroger and Hickory Meat Block, in the late 70s."

"He really was a self-made man," his oldest son, Daryl Yott, said. "He'd pore over things and learn them himself."





1 comment:

  1. part of me takes exception w/Brian Wilson's article, namely that the Bronze Star was awarded. like some beauty contest cup. Those Soldiers Earned it, mainly by Sacrifice and Bravery above and beyond the call of Duty. just my opine. And isn't it "pour" not "pore"?

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.