Glenys Arlyne Young

Glenys Arlyne Young..nee Mincher was born in 1935, in E Benson, PA to William and Bernice Mincher. Glenys was one of 4 daughters that were born to the Minchers. She is preceded in death by her sisters, Janie Hoffman and Bethel. Her sister, Dorothy Eagles, resides in Florida. Glenys is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, James David Young. Glenys has 3 living children; Kim, Shawn, and David Young. Glenys has 2 grandsons; Seth and Slater Young.

In high school, mom played basketball and was a cheerleader. She met our father in high school, which led to marriage in 1954. Dad joined the National Guard, and then went on and enlisted in the U.S. Army, in which he served for 26 years. That made mom a military wife, and if you know anything about military spouses, then you know that they are strong and resilient. Mom and Dad adopted Kim in 1960, Shawn in 1964, and David in 1966. There were many tours of duty that took dad away for a year or 6 months or weeks, and during those times, mom was cheerleader, nurse, cook, cleaner, driver, and doled out the punishments. The year that our dad was in Vietnam was probably the hardest that she had to endure, but she never let on that she was sad or scared. Being a military wife also meant that she had to budget wisely. Mom could make a pound of hamburger go a very long way for a family of 5. She cooked almost every meal, stretching food items out but making most the meals very tasty (except liver). She had the most awesome spaghetti sauce recipe that has been passed down, and she could make coal-miner pasties better than any restaurant could ever make! Even though our parents did not have much money, they made every Christmas wonderful. We never felt that we went without because mom always made magic happen. Mom loved to drive through neighborhoods, looking into the windows of homes so that she could come up with new ideas on decorating our home, and as kids, we would often be promised McDonalds or an ice cream cone and then tricked into driving through the neighborhoods with her! Most importantly, no matter what our age, mom and dad’s home was always home to us, and reflected her spirit; warm and loving.

Mom and dad’s love remained strong and constant throughout their 65 years of marriage. When dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease 3 years ago, dad’s behavior changed. Mom was the only person that dad consistently listened to…and obeyed. If he was trying to leave the house, a stern word from mom would make him sit back down again. When she had to go into the hospital on several occasions, dad did not know what to do with himself; they were that connected. When dad passed away last November, it took a big toll on mom’s emotional and physical health. She told us, often, that she wanted to be with him, and the last few weeks, she told us that she felt that it was time for her to go and be with him. All 3 of us understood, and agreed with her. They were so connected, that one without the other was a life half lived.

And so, we remember mom in this Celebration of Life, and we thank her for being the best mother any child/adult could ever have. We thank you for always ensuring that no matter where we were, we had you by our side; to guide and lead us in our travels through this life. We miss you, but we know that you are free of pain, that you are clear-headed, and you are with the only man you ever loved. We love you, we know you surround us with your love, and we’ll see you, one day, on the other side.

Kim, Shawn, David, Seth, and Slater