Jean Taylor Young

Jean grew up on a farm in a small town in southern Idaho. She was the sixth child in a family of 8 children. She was grateful for her wonderful parents whom she loved dearly for their exemplary lives, their love, toil and the sacrifices made for their large family. They didn’t know how poor they were because all of their neighbors were poor as well.

Her childhood was a happy one. Her Mother taught her how to sew dresses for her dolls, but the dolls didn’t get a lot of attention. Having two older brothers and being somewhat of a tomboy, she found it more fun to climb trees and hay lofts, swim two or three times a day in the irrigation ditch, or follow her brothers.

Jean thought school was fun with recess being the best part. There were approximately 30 students attending school in the two-room yellow brick schoolhouse. There was one teacher for each room with four rows of desks and each grade had a row.

After graduating from High School, Jean worked a year at the Army Supply Depot in Ogden Utah where she attended Weber College then moved to Salt Lake City. She married Verlyn Olson in the Salt Lake Temple and had two children, Randy and Jamie. Verlyn and she were divorced after six years. Jean worked supporting her family for four years in cutlery sales and selling Rena Ware cookware then opened Jean Olson Employment Agency which she operated for five years before marrying Fred Young who worked for the Boeing Company in Ogden. When he was transferred to the Seattle office, they moved their family to Bellevue, Washington. Jean was hired as the Classified Ad Manager at the Bellevue American weekly newspaper where she worked for 20 years. After 18 years of marriage, Fred passed away from cancer, so she was single many years of her life. This is when she became an avid gardener enjoying many hours keeping her yard in tip top shape.

Jean was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Her church callings have been in the music area, Relief Society first counselor, Relief Society teacher, visiting teacher, several years working with the Asian sisters and 20 years in the Seattle Temple Baptistry.

Jean is survived by son Randy T. Olson, Seattle; daughter Jamie L. Olson, Bellevue; step-children Sandra Woodbury, Tucson, AZ; Beverly S. Thompson, Kalispell, MT; Debra L. Anderson, Tucson, AZ; Terrance S. Young and his wife Kelli, North Bend, and 8 step-grandchildren, 8 step-great grandchildren and 4 step-great-great grandchildren.