Harold Dean Young

Harold Dean Young, the first-born of Wayne and Olive Young, entered this world on September 14, 1941 in Shannon County Missouri. Other than a few years in his early childhood when the family lived in various places during Wayne’s service in the Army and briefly in California, he spent his entire life near the area he was born. As he would reflect, he was proud of the fact that he had lived and worked and built a life within a few miles of where he was born. We often laughed at how much he disliked leaving the farm or Summersville. From a young age he had a deep love of farming. During his high school years his teachers learned to accept the reality that he would not be attending class on the day of the weekly livestock auction. He said he learned a heck of lot more at the sale barn than he did in class. He and his father worked side by side on the family farms for decades. His face lit up when he talked about being a farmer. His knowledge and experience with cattle was respected and sought out by many over the years.

On August 3, 1963 he married Myrtle Sykes in Summersville, MO. Together they worked to build a life and legacy for their family. They owned and operated Young’s Café for 30 years and have owned and operated Stop n Spot convenience store since 2000. There are dozens of people in the area who worked for them over the years who consider them a second set of parents. Dean loved to tell stories, laugh and visit. If he ever met a stranger that person did not feel like a stranger for long. He didn’t consider people customers, he considered them friends. It would be difficult to find anyone who has been around Summersville long who hasn’t had a laugh with Dean Young.

Dean loved the outdoors. He enjoyed fishing and hunting with friends and family over the years. His love of hunting and seeing the younger generations of his family sharing in that sport encouraged him to clear and build a family cabin on “the forty”. It was one of his favorite spots of all and he loved seeing his family spending time together there.

Of all the things he was known for, his hard work and love of his family was the greatest. He worked tirelessly at anything he set his hand to. He loved his kids and grandkids, nieces and nephews. He was always there for guidance and love but he also expected them to stand up for what’s right and work hard for what they want out of life.

On the day he received his diagnosis, he said in his “matter of fact” voice to the family with him, “I want to tell you all something and don’t ever forget it. None of us are going to live forever. I have lived a good life. I have hunted the mountains of Colorado and the hills of Missouri. I have fished the creeks and rivers. I have worked and farmed. I did it all exactly the way I wanted to do it. I’ve had good friends, good neighbors, and I have a good family. I’ve had a good life.”

Harold Dean departed this life on September 21, 2019 at his home surrounded by family and their love for him.

He is preceded by his paternal grandparents, George and Easter (Odom) Young; his maternal grandparents, Wayne and Willie (Light) Pitts; father, Oliver Dewayne (Wayne) Young. His wife’s parents, Oscar and Gladys Sykes; brothers, Robert (Bob) and Everett Young; an infant sister; sister-in-law, Geraldine Young and many other friends and family members who greeted his heavenly arrival.

He leaves to celebrate his life his wife of 56 years, Myrtle Young; three daughters, Cheryl Pringle of Willow Springs MO, Deana Young of the family home, Shelly McNew of Summersville, MO; son-in-law, Kenneth McNew; grandchildren Kristin Kissee (Nick) of Willow Springs, Andrea Shatswell (Micah) of Springfield MO, Kyli Plowman (Wyatt) of Summersville, Dylan Pringle of Willow Springs and Bayli McNew (Austin Cook) of Summersville; great grandchildren Logan, Dylan and Cailynn Shatswell, Lennox and Beckett Kissee, Haysli Atkins, Hudson and Hadley Plowman; mother, Olive Young; brother, Ronald Young. His memory will be cherished by countless other family member and friends.