Gerald Eugene “Jerry” Young, 84, of El Dorado, passed away, Tuesday, December 26, 2017, at the Medical Center of South Arkansas. He was born November 6, 1933, to the late Oswald George and Isla Harriett Hjerlied Young in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.Mr. Young, along with his wife, Alice Jean, was the owner and manager of Young’s Funeral Directors from 1960 to 1994. He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving during the Korean Conflict. At his release from active military service as a Light Weapons Platoon Leader, he had attained the rank of Corporal. He fulfilled the remaining six years of his military obligation in the Arkansas Military District of the United States Army Reserve. He was a long time member of the First Christian Church, where he served as a Deacon and also an Elder. Mr. Young was very active in civic affairs, he was a past board member of Exchange Bank and Trust now known as Regions Bank, a Paul Harris Fellow, Union County Ambulance Chairman for twenty-five years, past board member of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, as well as the El Dorado Rotary Club, Arkansas Burial Board, and he was a stockholder and last living founder of Selected Funeral and Life Insurance Company. He served as an assistant Scout Master, a life member of the American Legion Post #10, and was a life member of the NRA. Mr. Young was past president of the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association and the South Arkansas Funeral Directors Association.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Alice Jean Young of El Dorado; daughter, Lisa Ann Guice and her husband Lester of El Dorado; two sons, Mark Allan Young of El Dorado, M. Todd Young and his wife Angela of Hot Springs; a brother, Dick A. Young of De Ridder, LA; grandchildren, Michael “Ozzie” Young of Mayflower, Stephen Wright of Conway, Gerald Michael Young and his wife Courtney of Hot Springs, Heather James and her husband Brent of Hot Springs; Hope Delahunt and her husband Charles of Arkadelphia; step-grandson, Jonathan Cater of Little Rock; and three great grandchildren, Kameron Young, Anthony Burgett, and Jamison Drake Clark.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 pm. Thursday, December 28, 2017, at Young’s Funeral Directors.
A Celebration of Life Service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, December 29, 2017, at Young’s Chapel with Tommy Hubbard officiating, along with Courtney Crouch, Jr. and Bill Booker assisting, with army military honors. Entombment will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.
Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.