Audrey Thomas Young

Virginia Audrey Thomas Young, known as Audrey Audrey was born in 1921!In less than a month she would be 95 years young.Can you imagine the changes in her life and world around her that she has seen in this time period.Incredible. She went from horse and buggy to automobiles, to aircraft.From an outhouse to indoor plumbing, gas lanterns to electricityetc.She was born into a farming family near Buffalo Junction just down the road.Farming was their main occupation, but in pre-depression & depression times of the 20’s & 30’s everyone was a jack of all trades just to survive.Trading services and skills were the monetary values of the day. She often said that they were very poor, but as a kid, she did not know it.They ate wholesome nutritious foods grown at home and learned all about canning, preserving, and gardening in addition to a whole array of skills.Although she didn’t have the multiple dresses or shoes, she enjoyed her rural young life with her sisters and brothers.She was the youngest of 6 kids.MommaFlossie & Papa Eddie Thomas both of whom were born in the late 1890’s, also had long lives.It tends to run in the family.Her sisters were:Irene, Blanche, Ida, Brothers: Robert & Walllace. All are predeceased and most buried in Oakhurstcemetery.As are ason,Wesley A Young and her husband of 53 years, George H Young Jr. along withher Mother and Father. They are all reunited again.As a child she grew up on the Tally farm along Rte 58 and went toAarons Creek school and attended church at the Aarons Creek church.All the Thomas’back to the year 1700 stayed in the Clarksville area.Buffalo Junction, Red Bank, Hyco & Buffalo Springs. Her Grandpa was Tom Thomas who produced 16 children, most of which stayed in the Clarksville area.Her Great Grandfather was John Thomas buried at Aarons Creek church had married Elizabeth Pinson, her great Grandmother.Elizabeth was a direct descendant of Aaron Pinson 1700-1758.He initially received a land grant from England for this entire area, hence Aarons Creek.A long lived family you would say in many dimensions.In 1938 she married George where they farmed in the area and movedto a New Jersey farm before resettling and farming in Petersburg Virginia, near her husbands family.She made a nice home there utilizing all those skills she learned as a child back in Clarksville.She particularly loved gardening and homemaking.In about 1949 they moved their family of 4 to Silver Spring MD, a suburb of Washington DC.It was here that George made his official move to become a carpenter where there was plenty of work.Her love of flower & vegetable gardening, along with canning and making this new home was the love of her life.She raised her children to adulthood in Maryland. She was an innovator for women working outside the home in the 50’s & 60’s.Working for the Marriott Corporation and later for Safeway stores, she became 1 of the few women to achieve management position in the early 60’s all the while keeping up with kids, husband and home life, unusual then and commonplace now.On the 50th wedding at a local restaurant, she was as giddy as a new bride.She had never experienced a celebration just for her and George like this before.She was so very excited to think that everyone thought so much of her and George to attend the party.With a full dinner for all the visitors, music, flowers and anniversary gifts too, she was beaming.The talk of her life for the year. In about 1980 she decided to retire from Safeway and she and George decided to go home again.This time they moved to Chase City and built a custom home.She had the knack for decorating and continued her love of gardening.This was blissful retirement. At about 1991, George passed away and she continued to live in her home with her sister Ida. Housekeeping and gardening became too much for her keep up with and she decided to move in with her daughter, Brenda Starkey in Maryland around 2000. She enjoyed her life there, being able to share so much together gave both of them great pleasure.It was only recently that her advancing age along with illness slowed her down.Life has been good for Audrey. Brenda, Just yesterday while going through some of her papers, found the poem that she has kept for many years and often mentuoned. Here it is: TO THOSE I LOVE If ever I should leave you whom I love To go along the silent way …….grieve not. Nor speak of me with tears,but laugh and talk of me As if I were beside you there. ( I’d come-I’d come, could I find a way!But would not tears and grief be barriers?) Andwhen you hear a song or see a bird I loved, Please do not let the thought of me be sad…. For I am loving you just as I always have… You were so good to me. There were so many things I still wanted to do… So many things to say to you… RememberthatI did not fear… It was just leaving you that was so hard to face. We cannot see beyond… But this I know! Twas heaven here with you. Isla Pooched Richardson Other than her daughter Brenda Young Starkey and son-in-Law, Wayne Starkey,of Walkersville, Maryland, Audrey Is survived by a daughter-in-law, Fran Young; 10 Grandchildren, Ken & Lauree Young of Florida, Ray & Valerie Young of Virginia, Donna & Mose Gurule of Colorado, Pam Young of Virginia, Gerald & Melody Young of Mississippi, Tom Young of North Carolina, Richard & Dianne Young of Colorado, Wes & his fiancé’ Jenniferof North Carolina, Scott & ColleenStarkey Crowell of Maryland, and Paul & Becky Starkey also of Maryland; 13 Great Grand Children,21 Great Great Grand Children, and numerous nieces and nephews of many generatons.