ZELL ALVA YOUNG AUGUST 31, 2000 Zell was born February 18, 1918, the second child of Archie J. Young and Violet Harsh Young. Zell was his family's third generation to live on N. Baker Street property in West Mount Vernon. His grandparents, Alva and Annie Young, bought the homestead acreage in 1906. They built their home and raised four children, the oldest being Archie Young, Zell's father. Zell attended Mount Vernon schools, graduating in 1936. After graduation, during the great depression of the thirties, Zell worked for a season in Eastern Washington on a relative's farm. After working on the farm, Zell became an apprentice ship builder in Bremerton. His six year stint there covered the war years. He was continually reclassified and not drafted as he was needed by the ship-yard. After the war, Zell went into business with his father in his welding and machine shop. Zell and Archie built the welding machine shop on the family's property in 1946. When his father retired, Zell continued with the welding and machine shop, adding recycling to the business. All his life, Zell worked at recycling and eventually had a huge collection of assorted machinery at his West Side shop. When work slacked off, Zell spent three summers working in Alaska as a mechanic on fishing boats and in canneries. Zell joined Toastmasters International in 1964 and he was an active member for three decades. He continued to go to meetings as long as he could walk. In 1993, Zell married Jeanette Hamilton and retired from the welding business. Living adjacent to the shop, he continued with his love of recycling. In 1995, Zell turned over the old welding shop and property to the fourth generation, his nephew Eugene Elfstrom. Zell and Gene spent many hours sorting through the years of accumulations at the old shop, making sure that everything that could be recycled was. It was very hard for Zell to sell and part with his machine shop equipment. Zell's cabin and mini barn were placed in the corner of the property and easily accessible for him, so that he could continue (on a much smaller scale) his recycling. By the spring of 2000, the old welding shop was renewed and revitalized. The field that once stored much of Zell's salvagables is now a large lawn lined by evergreen trees and it will soon become the new home of Elf Photo. Zell loved Skagit Valley and he championed for its health. He was a member of SCAMP and protested against the nuclear power plant in the seventies. In the eighties he campaigned to keep Skagit County a nuclear free zone and fought against the Northern Tier pipeline. He wanted to see that our rich agricultural valley was preserved. For three decades, Zell used his Toastmaster speaking skills by voicing his opinion at high-level meetings involving the health and welfare of the Valley. Zell is remembered for his great sense of humor; he loved to share a good joke or cartoon. It is his wish that you share a joke today in his memory. He once told a reporter that he wasn't running for Congress, or even walking; that because of his arthritis he was standing for Congress. Zell is survived by his wife Jeanette, his step granddaughter Barbara Thorp and husband Terry, two step grandchildren, Christine Martini, & Ryan Thorp, and two step great grandchildren, Jena &Tony Martini. He is also survived by his sister Ruth Elfstrom Riggles and husband Orville, three nephews, Eugene Elfstrom and wife Bonita, Norman Elfstrom, David Young Olney and family who live in San Diego, a grand niece Venita Elfstrom Van Horst and her family, and first cousins: Dwight Johnson, Doreen Martin, Donna Mason, Katherine Jensen, Bernice Macrander, Robin Barnett, and Don McKee. Zell was preceded in death by his only brother David, who died in Alaska at the age of twenty-one while he was serving in the Coast Guard. A memorial will be held for Zell Young at the First Christian Church, 1100 South 9th Street, Mount Vernon, (by Lincoln School) S. 9th and Skagit Streets, on September 9th, 2000 at 4:00 pm. Officiating pastors will be Gay Bruce and Barbara Davenport. -- Mailto:lgarcia@ncia.com Leona Garcia PO Box 636 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 FAX 360-336-6657 http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/g/a/r/Leona--Garcia-WA/