YOUNG, George T.

YOUNG, THOMPSON, BROWN, WARNER, CLOSE, PATTERSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/10/2015 at 09:21:28

Obituary ~ George T. Young
1831 ~ 1885

Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa

Obituary Matters
GEORGE T. YOUNG.

The death of GEO. T YOUNG a well know and highly respected pioneer citizen of this city, according last Thursday – to late for announcement of the last issue of the JOURNAL. For several years Mr. YOUNG had been suffering from heart failure and for five years has been incapacitated from giving any close attention to business. He had been gradually failing and of late and Monday of last week accompanied by his physician Dr. A. BROWN of this city, he went to Des Moines for treatment. He seemed to have improved slightly and on the evening preceding his death wrote a letter to his son, WILLARD in this city, in which he said he was feeling better then he could have expected. The following morning the telegraphic announcement of his death was received. His son-in-law F. E. THOMPSON, left immediately for Des Moines and with Dr. BROWN accompanied this remains to this city.

The funeral was held Saturday from his late residence in north Leon, Rev. CURLEY of the Presbyterian church preaching an eloquent after which, Masonic rites where conducted by members of that order and the interment was held at the Leon cemetery. The services at the residence and the cemetery were attended by large crowds of the former friends and neighbors of the departed pioneer, as well by members of the Masonic fraternity, of which he had been a prominent member. He was a night Templar Mason, and had been a charter member to the fist lodge of the masonic order organized in this city. This was Grand River Lodge No. 78, A. F. & A. M. organized under dispensation, November 30, 1856, and Mr. YOUNG named as Senior Warden.

Mr. YOUNG was a member of and an elder in the Presbyterian church and for many years was superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday School in this city.

Few early settlers of this county survive him. He located at Leon May 5, 1855, and in that year taught the first school ever held in the town. He had assisted the county recorder in the clerical work of his office prior to the establishment of the school, and after the term expired he was employed as a clerk for Cleveland & Winn, in the fall of 1855. In 1856 he elected clerk of the courts and held that office during three terms of two years each. In the fall of 1862, shortly before the expiration of his last term as clerk of the records he formed a partnership with SETH RICHARDS, a pioneer merchant of Southern Iowa and established a mercantile business at Mt. Ayer under the firm name of Richards & Young, which continued until 1876. He returned to Leon in the spring of 1878 and formed a partnership with the late J. S. WARNER, in the loan and brokerage business. This business continued a few years and until after the death of J. S. WARNER. Mr. YOUNG later purchased an interest in the mercantile business of E. J. CLOSE in this city, which was conducted under the firm name of Close & Young for a few years when Mr. YOUNG became sole proprietor and so continued until his retirement from this business; being succeeded by his son GEORGE WILLARD YOUNG and son-in-law FRANK E. THOMPSON in the business.

Mr. YOUNG was born in Ohio in 1831. He was married December 23, 1858, to Miss HATTIE A. PATTERSON, a native of Pennsylvania and daughter of ROBERT PATTERSON, who settled in Leon in 1857. Mrs. YOUNG died March 16, 1885. Four children survive the parents: HELEN, WILLARD, EDITH and Mrs. LULA THOMPSON.

Transcription by Sara Rose Joan LeFleur