Mary Rachael Young

Mary Rachael Young

Lifelong Pike Township resident Mary Rachael Young, 97, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2016, at the Aultman Compassionate Care Center, having never fully recovered from a September incident of congestive heart failure.

Mary was born at home on August 6, 1918, the hottest day ever recorded in these parts, to Martin and Orlena (Herstine) Devine. She was Valedictorian of the East Sparta High School Class of 1936. This class held a reunion every year for over sixty years.

Mary earned her teaching certificate at Kent State, and taught a year at the Melscheimer One-room School. She attended the annual   Melscheimer Reunion faithfully since its inception in 1993, and every year the story was related of Francis Young buying the teacher’s supper at a box social, and marrying her after building her a home nearby.  It was an old-time neighborhood, where enduring friendships were formed. Francis and Mary spent fifty-six years together there, until his death in 1996. Mary resided there another thirteen years, then moved in with her daughter and son-in-law (still in Pike Township), so that her grandson could buy the homeplace, keeping that piece of property in the Young family for over one-hundred years.

Mary was very proud of her three children and their families; there are eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren:  Mehl and Linda Young of Bolivar, their daughter Melinda (Mark) Heavlin of Spruce Pine, NC, and children Rachel of Cullowhee, NC, and Myles and McKenzy of the home, and son Todd (Heidi) Young and children Adriann and Cameron, caretakers of the Briggle Ave homeplace.  Ray and Janice Young, living “next door” on Briggle, their daughters Melissa (Richard)Young-Collard of North Port, FL, and Madelyn Young of Coral Gables, FL, and son Jake Young of East Sparta. Kathleen and Steve DiLoreto  of Pike Township, their daughters Kerryann (Josh) Brownell of Madison, WI, and Lorelei DiLoreto of Canton, and son Daniel DiLoreto of Brooklyn, NY.

Besides her parents, and most of her beloved first cousins, Mary was preceded in death by five brothers and two sisters:  Martin, Luther, Robert, Charles, Michael and Orlena Mae Devine, and Gwenda Orlando. She is survived by brothers, Adrian (Alice) and Joseph (Mary) Devine, sister-in-law Geneva Devine, and numerous nieces and nephews. Mary will be sorely missed in her role as matriarch at the Devine, Herstine and Young Family Reunions.

Mary and Francis were founding members of the Tuscarawas Valley Pioneer Power Association and the Stumptown Steam Threshers Association, and attendees of other Steam Shows around the country for many years. Their Steam Bunch friends enriched their retirement years beyond measure.

Though Mary was proud of living long, she was finding it challenging to be “The Last Leaf on the Tree”, which references a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, that she memorized in grade school and could still recite. We hope that today she is enjoying a reunion with all her friends and loved ones in Heaven.

Mary was a member of Otterbein UM Church, and thanks is due the Otterbein congregation for their continued concern and support. Special gratitude is extended to steadfast family friend Nancy Babik Snyder, who continues Mary’s monthly Bunco Club, and spearheads the restoration of the Melscheimer School as an interdenominational chapel.  The family is also grateful to the staff at Altercare of Navarre, who cared for Mary with utmost patience and compassion during her four -month struggle.

According to her wishes, Mary’s cremains will be laid to rest beside Francy’s at Melscheimer Cemetery.

A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at Otterbein UM Church, 6025 Shepler Church Ave. SW, Navarre, on Friday, February 5th at 6:30pm. A time of fellowship will follow, and refreshments will be served, including cherry pie, in memory of the one Mary baked and put in a box that captured Francy’s heart.

Memorial donations to Otterbein (address above) or Melscheimer School Restoration Fund, Pike Township, PO Box 434, East Sparta 44626, are suggested and appreciated.

Kreighbaum-Sanders

330-484-2525

www.sandersfuneralhomes.com