Irene Vanderhoof was born Irene (or Irena) Kudrna to John Kudrna and Winona (Nona) Cleavenger in Nebraska. She lived with her grandparents as a child, and later married and moved to Utah and then Las Vegas, Nevada. She died in California in 1994.

Louise Yoxen worked in Germany at the end of World War II participating in our

occupation efforts with France, Great Britain, and Russia. Continuing with

U.S. State Department work, she accepted the next assignment in North Africa.

Originally from Florence, Alabama, Yoxen's work in Germany and Africa finally

brought her to Las Vegas in 1951.

Yoxen met her husband here, raised two children, and worked in the family's

construction business. They helped build Sam Boyd Stadium, structures at Nellis Air