Flora D. Young

Flora D. Young was born Feb. 6, 1930 to George and Florence Erkman. She was the fourth of five children. She had three brothers, Warner, Emory and Wayne and one sister, Erma. She was raised on the farm in Varna, Illinois. They farmed with horses. Times were hard during the depression. Everyone had chores, but listened to the radio in the evenings powered by the battery that grandpa took out of the truck.

Mom went to school at the country school in the area. She graduated from La Rose High School. There were six in her class. She was married to John “Jack” Carlson in 1954, after he got out of the Army. They rented a small farmhouse and started a family.

After her mother passed in 1957, she helped take care of her brother and father at the farm. Her father died in 1958.

In 1962, she and Jack helped move family friends to Longmont. We followed in 1963 because of the building boom. She went to work at Ideal Market. Jack and his friends were in the building trade, built a new house for the family, and moved in right before Christmas.

Flora always had a job to help pay the bills. She and Jack divorced in 1968. She joined Parents Without Partners where she met and married Kay Young. They enjoyed going to square dances, playing cards and traveling until Kay passed away in 1980.

Flora was always giving. She helped numerous kids learn how to drive in our old 1961 Chevy.

She loved having her grandchildren and great-grandchildren around her.

She loved holidays and cooking for everyone. As we outgrew her house in Longmont, she took food to the family homes.

She enjoyed The Mead Prime Timers with members of the community and Mead United Methodist Church, along with her gardening. She enjoyed feeding and watching the birds. She did not like squirrels, as they ate her birdseed.

Flora is preceded in death by her husband, Kay, three brothers, two sisters and two granddaughters. She is survived by a son, Allan (Michelle) Carlson and a daughter, Kathryn (Rick) Brooks and grandchildren, Steven (Charrisa) Carlson, Genevieve (Loren) Carlson, Ryan (Jennie) Brooks, John (Crystal) Carlson and Dennis (Erika) Bachy. There are fourteen great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donations can be sent to Mead United Methodist Church in memory of Flora Young

P.O. Box 326

Mead, CO 80542