Robert Elree Young, Jr.

ROBERT ELREE YOUNG JR. Funeral services for Robert Elree Young Jr., a longtime Dove Creek resident, were held at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 15 at the Dove Creek Community Center. Following the services, Robert was laid to rest next to his beloved wife at the Dove Creek Cemetery. Born In Santa Fe, N.M. on April 28, 1933 to Elree and Zelma Young. He had three Siblings, Mary, Dorothy and Francis Young. They moved from there to Liberal, Kan. His childhood was spent here until the dust bowl forced them to move. During this time, many families headed west to homestead land. His family decided to be among them. Thirty long days by wagon; later settling in Dove Creek. In 1942 the Young family homesteaded on Squaw Point. Robert's early days were spent clearing large trees so the family could farm the land. Here he went to school at Sago School until eighth grade. Every day along his four mile walk to school, other kids joined them and became fast friends. Remarkably most of these kids would grow up on Squaw Point and raise their families there. Robert loved music, but could not afford an instrument. This did not deter him. He took an axe and pocketknife and made a fiddle out of a cedar tree. For the bow he used the hair out of a horses tail. He then taught himself how to play music. Eventually he would take his music on the road, literally, and would walk to Cortez from Squaw Point, and would play his homemade fiddle at the radio station for a welcoming and supportive audience. At around 18 years of age, Robert set out to travel the country. He would go from one place to earn enough money to go to the next. He would later share stories of these travels and his experiences in Chicago and New York as well as numerous other places across the country. At some point along this journey he made his way to Kentucky, where he met the love of his life Ocia Roberts. While the exact way they originally met remains a tightly held secret; in the early 1950's Ocia began receiving love letters from Robert. In 1954 Robert made the long trip to Kentucky in an attempt to sweep young Ocia off her feet. On June 21, 1954 Robert's courting efforts paid off, and they were married in a small county church in Buffalo, Ky. Shortly after their wedding, they left Ocia's family in Kentucky and set out for their new home on Squaw Point, 15 miles south of Dove Creek. They started with one frying pan, an old hand me down wood cook stove, and a homemade camper. They both hoed beans, a familiar occupation in Dove Creek, for $1 an hour and saved enough money to build a 10' x 12' home. Farm life was not easy. They cleared their land with grubbing hoes and an old F-20 Farmall tractor. Soon Robert and Ocia started their family, with their son Mikey. Following Mikey were Earlene, Lorraine, Lorene, Marlene, and Arlene. Robert and Ocia would travel all over the country, with their growing family in tow, working all sorts of jobs and meeting lifelong friends along the way. Robert was a true renaissance man, who was fascinated by learning interesting skills. His yard was full of items he would make out of whatever was lying around. He would see the use of virtually anything he came across and would create something interesting out of it. His efforts led to numerous awards in the County Fair, but more importantly, hours of conversations with friends and family. Over the years he would be famous for his car restorations. While traveling the country with the family he would always be on the lookout for parts for one of his cars. Eventually he would make friends with everyone from casino moguls to store owners, and would trade parts with anyone he came in contact with. He would often tell stories of letters they would exchange and parts they would trade. By the time he was done he had restored several cars including 1911 Ford Model T, 1917 Ford Model T, 1929 Dodge Sedan, 1930 Model A, 1964 Ford Mustang Convertible, and a 1965 Ford Mustang. Of course it wasn't enough to just find parts, he also learned how to sew so that he could rebuild the seats on his projects. What started as a hobby would turn into a source of income, that by this time was needed for his large family. Eventually he would build an entire building to house his upholstery equipment and would sew long into the night on projects for people from around the area. Robert worked for several years as a mechanic for Martin's in Dove Creek, but he would spend many hours at home working late into the night working on other people's equipment. Eventually he would make the decision to leave Martin's and work from home rather than making the drive to town. This decision also allowed Robert the freedom to take on new projects. He mined, he trapped, he farmed, and of course he was a mechanic. You name it, at one point Robert probably did it. Nights around the Young's were always a laugh a minute. Robert would keep you entertained late into the night. About the time you thought he was done he would have another "tall tale", or a magic trick, a card trick, or one of his homemade puzzles. Many young men, who were there to court one of his beautiful daughters, were humbled by these puzzles, but also entertained by his jokes. Perhaps the event that personified Robert was the annual Blue Grass festival that took place every Fourth of July on the Dolores River. Starting in 1977 the festival was held every year and continued to grow, until it simply was too large for the campground. People would come from across the country to play and Robert took responsibility for organizing the entire event. He would spend countless hours getting the campground ready before, and cleaning up after the event. He made sure the stage was ready and brought his generator so that they could play long into the evening. Robert truly lived his life, and brought joy wherever he would go. He loved to laugh and brought a smile to the face of anyone he came across. He never met a task he would not set out to master, or faced a challenge he would not eventually overcome. He won awards for what he could build with his hands, as well as the tales he could tell with his voice. He accomplished many things and overcame many obstacles, and lived what many would say was a hard life, but you would never hear him complain about any of it. He had friends that were millionaires, but even they were not as wealthy in life as he was. Despite being blind in one eye, he would see things that would go unnoticed by most around him. Robert truly was an amazing man that will be missed. Robert passed away at Vista Grande Rehabilitation Center on December 12, 2014. Robert is survived by his son, Mikey Young and wife, Becky of Dove Creek; daughters, Earlene Uptain and husband, Bruce of Dolores, Lorraine Brown and husband, Jeff of Monticello, Utah, Lorene Spindler and husband, Scott of Dove Creek, Marlene Neely and husband, Steve of Tucson, Ariz. and Arlene Goossen and husband, Jesse of Aztec, N.M.; Grandchildren, Devon and husband, Ryan Lane, Coy Young, Mathew Neely, Mark Neely, Orin Goossen and Darren Uptain; one great grandchild, Eli Lane; and his sisters, Mary Watkins and Dorothy Holliday. Robert was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ocia; brother, Francis; and parents Ellery Young and Zelma Kelly. Memorial contributions can be made in memory of Robert Young with Hospice of Montezuma, PO Box 740, Cortez, 81321.