Marian Mills Young

Marian Virginia Mills Young was born in a Guston farmhouse in 1927. She moved to Louisville in 1950 to join in the women’s effort to support their brothers away at war- working as a secretary at Meek’s Motor Freight. She lived in a girl’s boarding house where she was often awakened late at night to play the piano so others could jitter-bug into the early morning hours. Marian taught herself to play piano by watching her sisters, Lillian, Ona, Ina, and Clara-Francis play. All of the boys played the guitar, and harmonica- they also each served this country in war. Norman was a soldier under General Patton. He served with Edwin in WWII. Edwin promised if he ever got out of that foxhole in Germany that he would come home and live out the duration of his life on the family farm, which he did. Russell worked with NASA to help develop the scud missile. The Mills family has deep Christian roots that spread from the rolling hills of Ekron, KY to the volcanic islands of Indonesia. Missions to share the faith have spanned 5 continents. Marian would have considered herself meek in comparison. She was known to quote Matthew 5:9, saying “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God”. And that is exactly how she lived life, as an ambassador of harmony.

Meek would not be the word her family would use to describe the lady who nurtured them through life. Marian mothered us all. She is preceded in death by her husband, John S. Young. John served in the Pacific as a signalman in the navy. Together they broke ground at Valley Station Baptist, and started a family of their own. She is survived by her daughter Gency Fowler, and son, Thomas Young, her grandchildren- Leslie Stone, and Maryanna Wallace, her Great-grandchildren- Trevor Hulsey, Dakota Watts, Katie Mae Watts, Alexis Hulsey, Madeline Stone, and Jake Hulsey, her son in laws- Michael Fowler, and Tom Stone, and her nieces and nephews. She rocked a lot of them to sleep, recited verse, read stories, and helped write papers for school, she threatened some “within an inch of their life” as her finger pointed sternly to warn of something they had better not do, she was the host of the annual Christmas party that gathered all, she taught some to drive and others to walk, she financed everything from a college education to many a tank of gas, she knew what to say for a broken heart, how to sew hemlines, braid hair, and that an ice cream sundae would fix most things, she was a dynamo. She was all heart.

Music was at the center of Marian’s life. She served as the church organist at Valley Station Baptist for 50 years, as well as working as the church secretary for 40 of those years. She said she may as well have earned her doctorate, for she typed a dictation of everything from a Sunday’s sermons to a doctoral dissertation for her dear friend Brother Kaufman. Those who came into Marian’s life, outside of her family always recall her self-less, giving spirit, and the musical gifts she offered graciously. Marian taught countless pupils to play the piano, participated in the church choir, and played for weddings and funerals all through her life. She sang whenever, and where ever the mood struck. Her verses and notes will live with us always- as she would sing, “I’ll be loving you… always”.

Visitation for Mrs. Young will be held from 1-8 Sunday at W.G. Hardy Funeral Home of Valley Station. Marian’s Funeral Service will be held on Monday at New Salem Baptist Church, at 12 noon. Burial will follow in the Ekron Baptist Church Cemetery.