Willard Dayton Young Family History |
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My grandfather, Willard Dayton Young was born in Valparaiso, Indiana on May 23, 1857. He and his first wife, Mary Marcy, had 6 children. The family lived in Fort Scott, Kansas for a time, and settled in Fort Smith, Arkansas. After his first wife Mary died, he married Ida Hockmeyer and had one more child -- my father.
3-Eugene "Gene" YOUNG (1885-1959) More 3-Artemus A. "Arty" YOUNG (1887-1961) 3-Kate Mary YOUNG (1888-1957) More 3-Maude Elizabeth YOUNG (1890- ) 3-Mae M. YOUNG (1892-1981) 2- Willard Dayton YOUNG (1857-1936)
David B. Young was born Dec. 15, 1882 in Fort Scott, Kansas.
The remaining children were born in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Kate Mary Young born Aug. 27, 1888
Maude E. Young born Aug. 1890 Mae M. Young born Nov. 29, 1892 Three of Willard's sons took over the bread business and named it Young Brothers. The business was not enough to support 3 families, so Eugene (Gene) became the sole owner. He called his bread "Royal Cream" which for several years was competing with "Wholesome" bread from the Shipley Bakery. Dayton told me a little story about the competition. It is probably Gene who is pictured in the photo on the right side. Gene is Fred Baker's grandfather - founder of KISR FM . Thanks to Charles Raney for the photo on the right. He says that the bakery was at N and 12th Street when this photo was taken.
Unfortunately I have very few photos and momentos of my father's family. Most of the photos and history that Dad owned were claimed by children of his half sisters, leaving him only a few photos of himself. This was before the days of easy and affordable photo copy services, so those are lost to me and my siblings. Willard lived at one time near North O street and 13th Street. He prospered enough to move to North 12th and Garrison Ave near the future site of the Goldman Hotel. He was involved in selling the property to the people that built the hotel. From that sale he got into the real estate business with Horace Rogers. He worked in the real estate business for several years. He owned several pieces of property in Fort Smith. The Goldman was torn down in the 1990's. The family did not attend church regularly. Willard smoked. He went to a revival meeting held by Sam Jones. He was converted, quit smoking, became a Methodist, and was active in the church. Willard's wife Mary died when she was 55 years old. Willard married Ida Hockemeyer (my grandmother) in 1912. Willard was almost 56 and Ida was 40 when Dayton was born in 1913. Dayton was his father's 7th child and his mother's only child. Most of Dayton's (my Dad) half brothers and sisters had grown up and left home when Dad was a child. Dad's oldest niece is only a year younger than Dad.
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In 1936 Dayton took this photo of his nieces (Willard's granddaughters) in front of the old house on 18th. Left to right; Katherine Croom, Zoe Ellen Young, Betty Mae Aston, and Mary Elizabeth Lauhon.
Willard Young funeral announcement:
Funeral service for Willard Dayton Young, 79 years old, widely known business man who died Monday, will be conducted at 10 a.m., Tuesday at the Fentress mortuary chapel by Rev. G.F.C. Fons of the Fort Smith Gospel Mission and Rev. C.A. Lasater, pastor of the Dodson Avenue Assembly of God church....Willard Young obituary:
Willard Dayton Young, 79 years old, a widely-known resident of Fort Smith for 50 years, died at 1:15 p.m. Monday at his home 406 North 18th street. Mr. Young owned and operated the Fort Smith Bakery from 1890 until 1908. He also was associated with Horace Rogers in the real estate business for many years.Survivors include the wife, Mrs. Ida Young; three sons Eugene Willard Young, now owner of the Fort Smith Bakery, Artemus A. Young and Dayton Young, all of Fort Smith; and three daughters, Mrs. A.B. Croom and Mrs. May Aston of Fort Smith, and Mrs. C.E. Lauhon of Oklahoma City.
The funeral service will be conducted at the Fentress mortuary chapel Tuesday at 10 a.m. Burial will be in Oak cemetery.
The back of this photo says W. E. Young. Ida Hockmeyer Young kept this photo with photos of her husband, but Dad does not think that this is W.D. Young. Do you know who it is?
When his first wife, Mary Melissa, died, Willard bought a burial plot at Oak Cemetery for 8 people. Family members buried there include his first wife, his son David, Willard himself, his second wife Ida, his daughter Mary Kate and her husband Aaron Croom, and his youngest son Dayton and wife Mina.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] since 1997