Robert "Bob" Young, Jr

Robert B. "Bob" Young, Jr., 74, of Mt. Pleasant, IA, died Thursday, May 13, 2010, at his home following a brief illness. Open visitation will be held from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20th at the Olson - Powell Memorial Chapel. A memorial service will be held Friday, May 21st at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Inurnment will be at the Forest Home Cemetery prior to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the First Presbyterian Church. Born March 19, 1936, in Mt. Pleasant, IA, Robert Bruce was the son of Robert Bruce and Mildred Irene (Vermace) Young, Sr. Bob was a 1954 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. On September 2, 1956, he married Elizabeth Kay Ewart at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from the State College of Iowa (UNI), he graduated from the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a licensed funeral director, he was a partner with Crane-Ewart-Young Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant. In 1976, he began a 22-year career with Heatilator, Inc. (now known as Hearth and Home Technologies). Bob retired from the corporation's purchasing department in 1998. An active member of the First Presbyterian Church, Bob has served as an elder, deacon and on the building committee. He was also widely known for his cooking expertise in the church's famous barbeque chicken dinners. In earlier years, Bob was a Cub Scout leader and also helped spearhead the land acquisition for the Little League Baseball Complex on Cherry Street in Mt. Pleasant. He was a member and past president of the Mt. Pleasant Evening Rotary Club and also served for many years on the Mt. Pleasant Board of Adjustment. Bob was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and enjoyed pond fishing. He took great pride in his grandchildren's academic and sports activities and attended many games, concerts and activities. Survivors include his wife, Kay of Mt. Pleasant, IA; one daughter, Sara Young and her husband, John Christensen of Spring Green, WI; two sons, Steven Young and his wife Melanie of West Burlington, IA, and Philip Young and his special friend, Cindy Budzyn of Burlington, IA; four grandchildren, David Young of Pella, IA, Abby Young serving in the U.S. Army, Mariah Young of West Burlington, IA, and Aaron Christensen of Spring Green, WI; two sisters, Linda Johnson and her husband Harry of Mt. Pleasant, IA, and Kaye Higdon of Springville, IA; and three nieces. Preceding him in death were his parents and one nephew.