Preston L. Young (1913 - 2001)

Born 5 Dec 1913 in Odell, Hood River, Oregon, United States

Ancestors

Died 23 Nov 2001 at age 87 in Oregon, United States

Biography

Preston L. Young peacefully passed away on the morning of Nov. 23, 2001. Born Dec. 5, 1913, he was the son of Wally and Bertha Young, and the older brother of Joe Young (now deceased). Preston grew up in Odell, Ore., near Hood River, where he began and excelled with his talent in music. As a teenager, he moved to Portland from Hood River to complete high school at Portland Vocational-Tech High, and play violin in the Portland Youth Symphony. He also had a fine singing voice and as an adult, he took the solo tenor part in a performance of Handel's Messiah. Preston is survived by his wife of 64 years, Florence Young, formerly Florence Hallett, of Silverton, Ore. Together they raised their four children: Willetta Pinkham of Valencia, California, Loretta Bentson of Anchorage, Alaska, Dennis Young (deceased in 1969), and Michelle Dow of Dallas, Texas. They also have 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, all of which knew them warmly as Papa and Beach (Florence's popular nickname). Preston worked as a bookkeeper for Union Oil Company and later for Ben Faber Electric. He and Florence lived for 35 years in the Beaverton area on a six-acre farm, where Preston enjoyed gardening and was specifically known for his remarkable dahlias. They also owned a home at Cannon Beach, Ore., where they lived during the early years of their retirement. Then in the 1980s, the warmth and sunshine of Yuma, Ariz., beckoned them. They then purchased a home and began wintering there, until finally moving to Yuma fulltime in 1992. As Preston's health declined, he moved into Yuma Nursing Center and spent the last years of his life there, visited regularly by family and friends. Preston's children and grandchildren have fond memories of him sitting at their grand piano in the Hillsboro home, where he would play through his repertoire in the evenings. Up until the last years of his life, Preston continued to enjoy playing the piano, singing, and listening to others make music. He knew a great variety of songs by heart and among his favorites were In The Garden, What a Friend We Have In Jesus, and Turkey in The Straw. Preston is remembered as a friendly, caring person who loved being with people and especially took pleasure in his family. He was generous with both time and resources. A memorial service and internment will be held on Friday, Nov. 30, 11 a.m. at Skyline Memorial Gardens, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of Preston L. Young to Yuma Nursing Center, Staff Activities Fund, 1850 West 25th St., Yuma, AZ 85364, or to the Afghan Refugee Fund, Christian Aid, 3045 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRTF-5MT : accessed 18 January 2018), Preston L Young, Forest Grove, Election Precinct 45, Washington, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 34-56, sheet 61B, line 51, family 139, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3383.