Legendary Designs

Leon Yoder, the founder of Legendary Designs, grew up in an Amish home and helped his father in a small farm repair business. Here Leon learned the trades of a blacksmith, repairing buggies and various farm equipment.

Later on as he approached his teens, his older brother took over the family business and started building carriages. So through the ages from 12 to 18, Leon worked with his brother building and also restoring antique carriages. Working initially in the woodshop he also became the painter and eventually worked in the upholstery room and final finish.

Sign Shop

At age 13 Leon started pinstriping the

carriages. At first a striping roller was used and

eventually started experimenting with a sword brush

and replicating antique scrollwork. During this time Leon became good friends with local sign painter, Rocky Weaver. Rocky would give pointers to Leon on what brushes and paints to use.

In his late teens the family business discontinued the carriage business and ventured into manufacturing leaf springs and carriage parts. After this point Leon went to work at an RV factory then on to a tool and die shop, van conversions and eventually back to working at another carriage shop in Shipshewana, called Troyer Carriage. Here he was able to improve many pinstriping techniques and eventually decided to step out on his own. After talking with Rocky and finding out that he was getting close to retirement, Leon decided to open a sign shop and started out with Rocky again teaching and mentoring him as he had done quite a few years earlier.

The business opened it’s doors in Feb. 1997. Married 1 year later and growing at a constant rate he added a part-time employee and then eventually the first full time employee, Lyle Bontrager. Today Lyle is still with the company along with 2 other employees, Kristen Miller, secretary, and Leon’s wife SuEllen as Accounts Manager.

Leon, in 1981 in his Dad’s shop, operating a coal fired forge.

Below: Utilizing some pinstriping experience on a sign border.


Name	Leon Yoder	SuEllen Yoder	Lyle J. Bontrager (sticker-boy)
Age	Oct. 9, 1969	28	24, Oct. 8 every year
Family	complete	Leon, Me, Cherith Brooke 6, Grace Victoria 5, Corban Isaiah 3 Esther (Essie) Alexandria 6 mo.	I have the most wonderful wife, Erin and the cutest 2 year old girl, Abby & another one on the way
Worked at LD since:	Started biz in 1997, couldn’t get fired since	1997	May 14, 2001, 8am
Job description	Owner, Graphics Designer	Accounts manager, Collections agent, (strong arm)	If you can design it on computer, I can make it.
Hobbies	Study Christian Doctrine, Backyard Cooking, Roasting Coffee Beans	My Children, Shopping, Ebay, Shopping, Scrapbooking, Shopping YoderTime Blog	I have way to many hobbies to pick one. Running, swimming, biking, canoeing, golfing, inventing, playing drums, collecting free stuff, playing w/ Abby, jumping on the trampoline.
Aspirations	Maintained low: Avoiding Disappointment	Raise polite children and see Europe after they leave home	Build a canoe, garage, deck and sometime in the distant future build another house. * Become the best sticker boy in the nation.
Bad habits	Don’t understand the question	Don't have any, Just ask Leon	Collecting to much free stuff, chewing my fingernails.
Pet peeves	someone crunching on ice while I’m designing	People who live in denial	Driving thru fresh horse manure.
Things you collect	Refer to collections dept	Nothing right now, I hope to collect money someday	Almost anything free, but mostly compliments.
Interesting facts about you	Pinstriped a carriage for the King of Morocco. Shook President Clinton and Gores hand, remained unimpressed.	At age 3 I helped my brother bury live baby chickens to grow an egg tree.	I ran a marathon. I made my wifes engagement ring. (Which is how I got this job in the first place.)
Philosophy to live by	Galatians 2:20	The Golden Rule	Changes daily; change is inevitable.
Other facts gleaned from Polygraph	Wife: SuEllen, Family: 3 girls, 1 son	She honestly believes she doesn’t have any bad habits, check that machine!!	Nothing left to glean.