Who was Charles Augustus Young?
St. Andrew’s has graciously benefitted from the Charles A. Young Trust Fund for over 40 years, but who was he?
Charles A Young was born in Chicago in 1895 and later moved into the western suburbs. He owned a grocery store and was a veteran of both WWI and WWII. Charles Young and his wife Marion were active parishioners of St. Andrew’s during the 1950s until 1968 when Marion passed. He was a faithful attendee of the 11AM service each Sunday. In those days, St. Andrew’s hosted three services each Sunday. Ruth Winningham recently
reminisced that “Mr. Young” was a kind man, a gentleman, and always well dressed.
Charles Young never drove a car and at times relied on fellow parishioners to provide rides for him. This was especially true in the late 60s when his wife was hospitalized. As an example of his appreciation and generosity, Ruth remembered “Mr. Young” inviting her, her husband Tom, and her teenage son Tom to dinner one night at a very nice local restaurant.
Charles was a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and was elected to the Vestry during 1954-56 and began a term as Warden in 1957. When the current church was first built in the late 1950s, the Youngs specifically donated money to pay for every pew in the new Nave. Mr. Young’s only condition for this gift was that there would be at least one Holy Communion service at the 11AM each month. In those days, Common Prayer was the norm for that service at St. Andrew’s. These pews were later replaced in the 1980s by a host of parishioners.
Mrs. Young died in the late 1960s. After several months Charles remarried his second wife, Marian. He died in December 1970 and is buried in LaGrange. Interestingly, the Youngs lived close to church on Franklin Street, which is now the current residence of Josh and Karalyn Horeled of our parish.
In 1982, his estate led to the establishment of the Charles A. Young Trust Fund. This fund has contributed thousands of dollars to the parish’s operating budget during the past 45 years and even today the principal amount remains well over $200,000. In looking back, Charles A. Young was just a man that loved his church and generously left a lasting gift and a memory that continues to bless today’s parish.