Excited to announce that our family will be part of a display at the Lee's Summit Historical Society (LSHS) and Museum! I have been working to submit as many pictures, documents and items as I can and have left no stone unturned. So now I'm encouraging and asking everyone in the family to do some digging too! I think the end result will be a great treasure to last forever and something I'd like to fly out and see in person! I am still hoping that an old newspaper clipping with a picture of Robert Cleveland Young and outlaw Cole Younger will appear once again in our family's possession. My dad remembers seeing this article with a caption, something to the effect "Cole Younger, train robber, meets Robert Young, train guard." Grandpa R. C. and his dad Robert Martin pulled him aside and showed it to him. My dad was about 8 years old at the time and remembers seeing the picture of his grandpa sitting with his gun pointed away from Cole, also sitting. Cole was much bigger and older than R. C. in the picture. Cole had been locked up for 27 years and was released from a MN prison on February 16, 1903 and returned to his home town of Lee's Summit. This is initially what started my contact with LSHS. To my surprise they were not only excited to know that an old article existed with the infamous outlaw, but took interest in R. C. as well. They are focusing much attention on the Railway Postal Service. The museum is located at the old Depot and they are moving to a new facility and will have a grand opening next year, just in time for the 150th anniversary of Lee's Summit Missouri.
Robert Cleveland Young was born on October 25, 1882 in Rich Hill, Missouri. He is my great grandfather and the oldest surviving child of John Colby Young and Mary E. Edwards, both of Kentucky. John Colby was a twice enlisted Civil War Veteran with the 8th and 17th KY Cavalry and rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Colby died in May of 1899. I want to try and paint a picture of what it was like growing up as R. C. Young. First of all there were two babies born before him, a boy named Martin and an infant girl who most likely both died as toddlers and before John Colby and Mary moved to Rich Hill because they are not buried in the family plot. After R. C., two more babies, J. C. and Colby E. were born who died at around 7 and 8 years old within a few months of each other in 1892. R. C. would have been about 10 so he would remember this. When his father died, he was 16 and his 4 younger siblings ranged in ages 4 to 12. There was a widow's pension available but getting it took years because of all the pension fraud going on at that time and eventually Mary had to get help with the application process from an attorney. As some of you may not know, John Colby was injured in the Civil War and did not have use of one of his hands. This may have been due to nerve damage as a result of a saber or bullet wound. As you can imagine these were hard times for R. C. and his mother and young siblings and I'm sure R. C. no doubt became the man of the house after Colby died. I may have mentioned this in another blog entry regarding the Young children, but after Mary died in 1906, R. C. helped his youngest siblings who were still minors at the time get an accrued pension. It required an attorney again. R. C. and Joseph took their younger siblings Mary and William (Uncle Bill) while still being so young themselves. Lemar, the youngest, went with a legal guardian and sadly much contact was lost after this. (I'm happy to say that I'm in touch with Lemar's grandson and his lovely wife who told me that Lemar lived to be in his nineties. After seeing some pictures I sent, they say he looks very much like R. C. and will send me some pics of him!)
I mentioned Colby to LSHS because he was from Russelville, Kentucky where a bank robbery occurred in which Cole Younger took part. My dad and I were pondering why R. C. was featured in a picture with Cole in the first place. We wondered if there had been an encounter between Colby and Cole which would give a picture of Colby's son and the outlaw some extra significance. Of course it could still just be a simple playing off the similarity of names.
R. C. took a temporary position with the Railway Postal Service in November, 1902 and obtained a full time position as clerk in February, 1903. The picture shown above was taken February 26, 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was working in the 7th District which serviced Kansas City to St. Louis at the time.
The picture shown above circa 1903 was taken inside the mail car. R. C. is in the far back right corner looking over his shoulder! Betty sent this picture to my dad along with some other pics and documents that would play a huge role in the family tree and bringing the story of the Martin and Young families to life. LSHS was very excited to see this because it confirmed that the men would sort the mail inside the car as shown in this rare glimpse. LSHS will work on restoring and enhancing the pic to a more clear view. They are well equipped to handle such tasks and even carry portable scanners which they can even take to people's homes.
Take a look at the priceless picture shown above! R. C. is second from left. I scanned this from Aunt Bev's album last October. Below the picture shows R. C. in the middle with wife May Young on the right. On the left I believe that is R. C.'s younger sister Mary who was living with them at the time of the 1910 census.
May Young, is my great grandmother, born Lulu May Martin to parents John Kelly Martin and Alice Cary Gee. John Kelly owned a coal company with his brother in law, was post master for some time and mayor of Rich Hill. Can you imagine? R. C. married the mayor's daughter! :) May, before marrying R. C. was assistant post master for 8 years according to some old newspaper clippings announcing their marriage. May and R. C. most likely knew each other for many years growing up in the same area of a small town. Marriage certificate shown below also sent to my dad from Betty, many thanks to her as this was one of the required documents for my membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The wedding was said to be a private affair with only family and a few friends held at the home of John Kelly, father of the bride, and the bride's grandfather Reverend William Cook Martin officiating. They would soon make St. Louis their new home but not until after my grandfather Robert Martin Young was born in Rich Hill, Missouri on March 24, 1908. Their only child. Look at the cute postcard picture of Martin I scanned from Aunt Bev's below.
Below, another priceless pic I scanned from Aunt Bev's showing R. C., May and Martin all dressed up. It may have been circa 1920 when women were given the right to vote and it is possible that they are going to one of May's functions. May Young was a suffragette and a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She was an amazing woman. Look how serious Martin looks! My dad says he looks 12 going on 30. Take a look at the pocket watch fob on Martin. Doesn't it look similar to the one his father is wearing outside the train in that much older pic? There appears to be a design of some sort. Kathy from LSHS told me that railroad postal workers were given a special gold watch. I will have to confirm if it is a pocket watch or wrist watch. Sure would be interesting to see one!
Before I get off track, let me continue with the interesting life of R. C. He spent his entire 50 year career with the postal service. Below are some exclusive Railway Mail Service newsletters that Betty sent to my dad.
Here is a nice photo of R. C. from Aunt Bev's collection shown above.
Below is one of R. C.'s annual train passes given to my dad. As a railway postal service employee, he and his family could ride the train for free and go anywhere!
Another fun fact I discovered about R. C. was that he went to go meet President Truman. I discovered this after finding some interesting and important looking group photos. I did a Google search on R. C. and found his name on Harry Truman's daily records. R. C., along with the rest of the General Superintendents of the country went to go meet the President on April 23, 1952! See the pictures below.
Pictured above are the General Superintendents of the entire country. 15 districts total. There are also flight crew members included. Below is the roster of names.
Now wouldn't that be something if pictures surface of R. C. meeting Harry Truman?! R. C. Young retired from the postal service just after his 70th birthday.
Below is a pic of R. C. and May at their home on Nina place. As some of you may know, May Young was President of the WCTU and very anti alcohol. One time the kids caught grandpa Young taking a swig from a flask or bottle he kept hidden in a drawer. My dad remembers Aunt Judy (being the oldest and most confident) asking R. C. "Does Grandma Young know you're drinking?" R. C. replied "What the old woman don't know, won't hurt her." Aunt Bev also remembers this and says R. C. said he was drinking for "medicinal purposes." ^_^
Looking at the same flower pictures on the wall over and over again, does anyone know, are these the same pictures Aunt Bev had stacked down in her basement? Wonder if anyone else recognized them ^_^
Sadly he died so soon after on January 19, 1953. Below is an obituary printed the next day in the postal transportation service newsletter.
More obituaries printed in the papers.
After R. C. died, someone gave my dad R. C.'s ruby ring. It was most likely grandma May Young or RMY Sr. Dad showed me the ring yesterday and below is a pic I took of it on top of a copy of an old pic of R. C. shown earlier. My dad said one of the rubies was missing, maybe it had fallen out and so he had it replaced. He also thinks the stones are not real rubies but my mom and I argued him on that :) saying why would they make fake rubies back then?! (I understand that there may have been synthetic rubies back then) BUT, fake or not, the ring is fancy and we'll leave it at that! I think dad mentioned that R. C. would wear it on his left hand. If anyone happens to find a pic of him wearing it, I can't seem to find a pic where his left hand is showing.
A picture of R. C.'s headstone below.
Below is a selfie picture of me next to the Young family plot taken in October, 2013. Aunt Bev took me to the cemetery for the first when I was 15. We went a couple more times and I remember her always saying "You know...since you're a Young...you can be buried here too someday...if there's still room!" I remember laughing and saying "that's awesome!" but then later thinking to myself...wait a minute... Haha!
If I have managed to capture your attention up to this point then I suppose my degree in Journalism has paid off! Thanks for reading and taking interest and for all your help to keep this legacy alive. Many thanks to loved ones past. I believe they are among us today and guiding us in bringing our story to life.
