Yakov Fedorovich Solonenko was born on April 16, 1930, into a Christian family of Fedor and Dominika Solonenko in the village of Belin, in western Ukraine. He was the second of four children. By the age of 20, he had moved to the Dnipropetrovsk region, to the city of Kryvyi Rih. He graduated from the Kryvyi Rih Mining Technical College. Yakov married Nellya in 1958. They both became members of Bethesda Pentecostal Church.

The Lord blessed them with five children, 12 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Together with Nellya, they lived 67 years in God's blessing, love, and harmony. In 1998, he and his family moved to America. Yakov and his family became members of the Slavic Christian Center church in Tacoma.

He loved God very much, loved to read God's word, and greatly enjoyed quoting the word from his memory. In the church, he and his wife participated in the prayer groups. He passed on his faith and love for God to all his children. Yakov was a loving husband, a kind father, a wonderful grandfather and great-grandfather!