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Barbara and Billy Younger with
daughters Kayla, Sharon, Lana and Laura.
The Town of McLemoresville turned
out in great numbers on Sunday, the first beautiful day of
June, to wish well the couple who has meant more to the
town than perhaps anyone in recent history, and there are
more than a handful of distinguished citizens in the small
town. Here is where H.L. Carter and Sons flourished, where
Dixie Carter got her start, where Poet Laureate Billy O.
Williams practiced his art and where Ezra Martin, who
succeeded Billy in that venerated title, also resides.
Here is where Billy's son, the estimable Phil Williams, is
Mayor. Here, Cotton is still King.
And here Billy and Barbara Younger have plied their trade
most all of their born days, operating Younger's Grocery,
which for years has doubled as the town's Welcome and
Information Center. The Youngers recently sold the store
to George and Donna Hancock in preparation for a
retirement well deserved.
At the Community Center on Sunday afternoon, Ron Cox, now
Pastor of South Fulton Baptist Church, addresses a crowd
of over 100 guests concerning three things the Youngers
will not be retiring from. First, he says, they won't
retire from giving encouragement.
He likens the couple's unfailing support of their church
and community to Barnabus, who took Paul under his wing
when he was yet an outcast, and who later upheld John Mark
when Paul refused him.
In encouragers like the Youngers, he says, choking on the
words that give testimony to the support the couple
provided him in earlier years, "Sometimes we don't see the
(encouraging deeds); we see the results."
 Secondly,
the Youngers won't retire from possessing a servant's
heart. "It's just a part of your life and lifestyle," he
says, addressing Billy and Barbara, "You can't get away
from having a servant's heart. The store is not who you
are, it's just where you worked out of."
Lastly, he continues, they won't retire from friendship.
"A friend loves at all times," he says, quoting Proverbs
17:17. "God bless you; we love you, we appreciate you, and
always will."
Mayor Phil Williams recounts some of Billy's lesser known
values. He had the first gas-powered lawn mower in town,
for instance, fashioned from a washing machine engine.
Mayor Williams presents the couple with a gift of
identical straw hats designed to protect the pair from
sunstroke during their upcoming family vacation to
Florida, and does his daddy proud with a self-styled poem
celebrating the couple's retirement.
Billy and Barbara have four lovely daughters: Sharon, who
lives in Memphis; Kayla, in Jackson; Alana, who remains in
McLemoresville; and Laura, who resides in Milan. All four
daughters plus seven beautiful grandchildren were present
for the retirement party. The grandchildren were
indispensable in manning the guest registry and keeping
servings of cake available and punch flowing.
"They're the greatest grandparents in the world," declares
Kassie, apparently as sweet as she is pretty.
Youngers Grocery employee Jo Ann Nevil, who has worked at
the store for the past 12 and a half years, will retire
along with the Youngers while Linda Newsom will carry her
three years of experience over to the new ownership.
"He's a special person," says Jo Ann, "There's nobody like
him; they're special people."
Friends Beverly Darnell and Jeruna Cozart, both residents
of McLemorsville, are glowing in their estimation of the
couple. "Nothing you can say is adequate," Jeruna says,
"We love them and we're going to miss them."
"They're the closest friends I've ever had in my entire
life," adds Beverly, "All their daughters are just like my
sisters."
Angie Martin, who is office manager at the local cotton
gin as well as being a member of the City Board, considers
herself a relative newcomer to the town, having moved
there when she was in the 4th or 5th grade from Big Buck.
"I thought I'd moved to town!" she laughs, "When I got in
from school I was never so proud as when I could go to Mr.
Younger's store for an after-school snack and that carried
over to my children; they went to Mr. Billy's to get their
snack to get ready to study or before football."
"Go ask Mr. Billy" has always been the answer to any
question about town, Angie says. "It's kind of like
they're the dictionary and the encyclopedia; this is where
you go first and if Mr. Billy doesn't know, it's like,
'Oh, no..'"
She credit's Billy's leadership with inspiring young
people like her son, Adam Martin, who is a member of
McLemoresville's Volunteer Fire Department. "It's his
example that has kept the Fire Department what it is and
that's what keeps a small community special; those
home-root ties that so many places are losing now."
After six years of teaching in the West Carroll School
System, Librarian Sandra Crouch moved to McLemoresville
last year. "When I moved here, anytime I had a question
about anything they had the answer," Ms. Crouch says of
the Youngers, "I've had all their grandchildren; they're a
great bunch."
New Younger's Grocery owner, George Hancock, on hand at
the celebration with his lovely daughter, Cassie, has been
a resident of McLemoresville for around 20 years, and his
wife Donna (formerly Donna Haywood) was born and raised
there.
"Cassie was born and raised here, too," he says, smiling
at the 16-year-old who is a member of the color guard and
cheerleading squad at West Carroll High School. George and
Donna also have a son, Timothy, who is 28 years old.
"I want to run the store in the same manner as it's been
run," says George, who will continue to operate the store
under its familiar name. "Billy has done a very good job;
there's no reason to change something that has worked
since 1945."
So intent is he upon maintaining the familiarity of the
store that he has worked with Billy the last two weeks.
Billy will be staying on next week to lend a hand and
after returning from Florida will spend a few more weeks
to complete the transition.
"I plan on using Billy to help advise and guide me; he's
had a lot of knowledge about the business for many years.
It's hard, when I look at Billy Younger; he's done such a
good job in the community; he's active in the Fire
Department and church," George says with complete
humility, "When I think about it I might be able to fill
the job but I will never be able to replace Billy."
George says he discovered very quickly Billy's standing in
the community when he went to have the utilities changed
over. "Who are we going to call when we want to know where
the water lines are?" he was asked. "Everywhere I've gone
I've run into something similar," he shares, smiling
sheepishly.
While George has worked for Tower Automotive Company in
Milan for the past 18 years, the move to Younger's Store
is actually a coming-home of sorts for the man who was
raised in his grandfather's general store that was started
by his great grandfather.
"As I grew older I decided that's what I wanted," he
shares. "I wanted to go back to what I loved so much. I
like the small-town setting and getting to know your
customers. The people of McLemoresville are good people;
you can see that right here. Here are three or four
generations that have known Billy."
Younger's General Merchandise was started in October or
November 1945 by Billy's parents, Elvis and Lula Younger,
when Billy was just 8 and a half or 9 years old. Mr. Elvis
died in 1957, and Billy took over at the young age of 20,
working alongside his mother for many years to come.
He married 18-year-old Barbara - a girl he'd grown up with
in the small town - the following year, and the couple
began adding the girls to their family in 1959. During the
early years Barbara kept the home fires burning while
Billy kept the store. Mrs. Lula retired January 30, 1991
and passed away in 1993.
Though Billy will remain active in the community and
McLemoresville Baptist Church and Barbara will continue
her duties as City Recorder, it was simply time to slow
down, Barbara explains.
"We've talked about it for a couple of years," she says,
"and now we have a good buyer. Billy has been working
13-hour days from before 6:00 in the morning until 7:00 at
night, six days a week. He just can't do as much as he
used to and his list was getting longer, not shorter. We
decided if we were ever going to be able to do anything
together now's the time. But we've enjoyed it, we really
have. We've enjoyed all the people. We appreciate all the
customers we've had over the years; they've been real good
to us; they made us what we are. We'll continue to serve
them in the same way even though we're not in the store."
The family who has never had time to take a family
vacation together will head to Destin, Florida next week.
"We're excited about doing that," Barbara smiles.
"I thought it was San Antonio," Billy quips nervously,
uneasy at the notion of retirement. "I'm used to being on
the go all the time," he says, "I'm just shifting gears,
I'm going into high now."
"He's got four daughters; with plans like we've got he's
not going to have much time," grins Sharon. |
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