Mrs. Dorothy Young

Born October 2, 1915 in Wickliffe, KY; died December 23, 2011 in Webster Groves, MO where she had resided since 1940. After her youth in the Jonesboro/Black Oak area of northeast Arkansas, Dotty attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she served as President of Chi Omega. Upon graduation in 1938 Dotty taught school in Mexico, MO, to attain the two years’ experience to qualify for a teaching job in the St. Louis area. She was the physical education teacher for Bristol School in Webster Groves, ending her formal teaching career shortly after her marriage in 1943 to H. Melvin (“Bus”) Young, Jr, a native of Webster Groves. They raised their family and spent 53 years in their home in Webster Groves. Their marriage of 59 years ended with the death of Bus in 2002. In 2000 Dotty and Bus moved into Laclede Groves Senior Community. Ever the sports fan all her life, Dotty could be found every baseball season in the same field box seat for the entire run of the “old” Busch Stadium. She never missed any of her children’s sporting events. She contributed to her community by volunteering for Red Cross Bloodmobiles, serving with PTAs, canvassing for education bond issues, and serving on the Board of the Webster YMCA. She was active with First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, as Sunday School teacher and member/chair of various committees. For many years she served as the neighborhood coordinator for the St. Louis Christmas Caroling Association, creating a Christmas Eve tradition fondly remembered by multiple generations of the neighborhood, especially the children who grew up in that So. Park Avenue and Lilac Avenue locale.

Dotty is survived by a younger brother, Bernard B. Bailey of Mountain Home, AR; her three children: Jennifer J. Young (Jack) of Gun Barrel City, TX; Harry Melvin (“Mel”) Young III (Paige) of Tempe, AZ, and Gene B. Young (Elizabeth) of Kirkwood, MO; and 4 granddaughters: Anne Young Martell of Kirkwood; Rebecca Young of St. Louis; Dakota Young Garves of Austin, TX; and Keili Young of Tempe, AZ.

In lieu of flowers, please take a moment to be grateful for your own blessings. "Pay something forward," contribute to a charity of your choice or to the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at the First Congregational Church on April 28, 2012 at 4:00 p.m.