Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa May 18, 1911 LEW H. YOUNG, formerly a resident of Leon, died Wednesday morning of last week at his home in Ottumwa as the result of an overdose of a strong nerve medicine that he had taken a short time before. Mr. YOUNG had been in poor health for some time and on Wednesday morning he prepared some medicine at his drug store, the Ballingal Pharmacy, and returned to his home complaining of being ill. He took a dose of the medicine and went to bed. His condition was such that his heart could not withstand the strong medicine and his death resulted soon after. Two physicians who had been called were unable to save his life. A coroner's inquest was held on that afternoon and the jury found that death had resulted from an overdose of gelsemium sedative and not with suicidal intent. The news of his sad death was a great shock to his many friends in Leon and Decatur County. Mr. YOUNG is a son of Major and Mrs. J.L. YOUNG, and a brother of Mrs. J.W. HURST, of Leon. The following tribute to Mr. YOUNG was published in the Ottumwa Daily Review issue of May 11: LEW YOUNG was a brilliant business man when in the years of good health and he was absolutely on the square. This remark was made to the Review last evening when reviewing the life of LEW H. YOUNG since coming to Ottumwa twenty years ago from the little city of Leon. And this was true of poor LEW YOUNG. He was on the square and beyond that his was the ever helping hand to a friend, for the young men of his acquaintance more particularly. One of his greatest delights while a traveling salesman over considerable territory, was to pick out a good location for a friend, buy the business, usually a drug store, send for a young man who was ambitious and place him in charge, giving his protege all the chance in the world to make good, to ultimately become owner of the store. LEW YOUNG was an earnest, indefatigable and successful worker and never overlooked the opportunity to advance the interests he represented, but always on the square. He had no enemies who will care to remember anything against him. Everybody admired him, loved him for genial ways, glad to meet him any time, was always sure of his unfailing kindness, of courtesy, of sympathy and encouragement. His remarkable resourcefulness in business, his charity of views on business matters, his organizing abilities and standard business qualities that made him dependable, that commanded respect and invite explicit confidence in his judgment, all proved the exceptional power in the affairs with which he came in contact and became personally interested. LEW YOUNG was kindly and steadfast in his grace that makes men admirable. He was honored for his honesty and Ottumwa has sustained a great loss in his release from that tireless activity that did so much for so many, who today grieve that death has ever taken their fellow citizen, their loyal and true friend. ------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 8, 2009 [email protected]