Velma (Yetter) Pugh

Velma "Ladine" Pugh (Yetter) was born on November 30, 1937, in the front bedroom of her parents' farmhouse on the High Mesa outside Olathe, Colorado. The daughter of Vernon Pugh and Pauline Dodds, she would spend her early years helping her dad on the farm. In 1950 her family relocated to Watsonville, California. Ladine graduated from Watsonville High School in 1955. In 1956, while cruising Main Street in Salinas, she met the love of her life, Ronald Yetter. Their 67 year marriage would begin in February of 1957, and in 1963 they moved onto the family ranch on Green Valley Road in Watsonville where they lived for the rest of her lives.

Ladine loved her family and raised four children. Her seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren knew her as Nana, a name that would be affectionately used by her entire family.

Ladine worked as an office manager for multiple dental offices for over 40 years before retiring at the age of 72. Ladine and her husband were well known faces at car shows all over the state of California. She was an avid collector of antique dolls, and loved to spend time browsing antique stores.

Ladine was the center of her family and could often be found sitting in her yard with a cat on her lap. She called each of her children every day without fail, and she will be greatly missed. On March 25, 2026, Ladine joined her best friend and husband, Ron, on the best cruise of their lives when she took her last breath with family at her side.

Ladine leaves four children, Ronnie (Linda) Yetter of Meridian, ID, Lee (Cheryl) Yetter of Watsonville, CA, Rhonda Yetter of Sacramento, CA, and Manny (Deana) Yetter of Hollister, CA. Six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Ladine is preceded in death by her husband, Ron Yetter, her parents, her sister, Verna Flintjer, and a grandson, Danny Yetter.

A private family internment will take place at Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery.

Published in The Pajaronian · April 14, 2026