Lillie Young, 97

Lillie Young, 97, of Gravity, Iowa, passed away Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the Clarinda Regional Health Center in Clarinda, Iowa.  Graveside funeral services will be held 12:00 p.m. Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Washington Cemetery, Gravity, Iowa with Pastor Russ Clark officiating. Visitation with family present to greet friends will be held from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Nodaway Valley Funeral Home in Clarinda, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the Lillie Young Memorial Fund for later designation by her family. Memories can be shared with the family at www.nodawayvalleyfuneralhome.com.  Arrangements were entrusted to the Nodaway Valley Funeral Home of Clarinda.
Lillie Alma Knowles Young was born May 24, 1928 in Wildwood, Missouri, the oldest daughter to Charles Clinton Knowles and Martha Viola (Bench) Knowles.  It often was said that she was brought in on the US Mail as she was born in a post office, as the daughter of the postmaster. She grew up in south Missouri during a difficult time in our country. Her father passed away when she was only 12 and her brother Charlie was born shortly after his death. Her mother taught her to have true grit, making the most of the little they had. She once told the story of how she took a ground squirrel away from the cat, cleaned and cooked it to feed Charlie.  She had a special bond with both her parents and her siblings that lasted throughout their lives.
Lillie attended Cudd Country School with her siblings and the local neighbor children.  The school later consolidated, and she attended Windyville School where she graduated from the 8th grade. She loved school and wanted to go on, but at that time there was no money for extra things like that.
Arthur Dean ‘Ott’ ‘Slim’ Young was a childhood friend, and when it came age of marrying, they chose each other.  They were married on December 1, 1944 in Plad, MO at the preacher’s house.  Life was hard, but they grew resilient.  After marriage they resided in the Plad, MO and Lebanon, MO area, where their oldest two children, William and Barbara were born. They later managed the Bennett Spring Christian Church Camp where Lillie cooked and cleaned; This is where she acquired the distaste for chicken and noodles. They then moved to Athelstan to be near Ott’s family and welcomed their third child, Lydia in 1954. In 1957, they purchased a house in Gravity where she lived the rest of her life.
During the 65 years Lillie lived in Gravity, her home was always open to the kids that grew up there and she always had a hot meal to feed them.  She babysat many kids in the community from her son-in-law, Randy, to her great grandchildren.  Being located on the most popular corner in town near the post office, she welcomed any new faces to town and always had a story for a friend.  Lillie also held employment in housekeeping, both cleaning and cooking at local homes as well as at the Young Nursing Home in Clarinda.
Lillie was a seamstress throughout her life and used her skills with sewing to also put together many quilts and clothing pieces for her family.  She invested 24 years working at O’Brien Brothers sewing factory in Bedford making lingerie and purchased extra fabrics to use for her many projects.  She made many friends and acquaintances during this time, some she even reconnected with during her short stay at the Bedford nursing home.
Lillie had a love for the Lord that showed through until the end.  She attended the Nazarene Church in Gravity as long as its doors were open; after that attending Church of Christ in New Market.  She continued to attend this church and became an active member of the congregation where on September 2, 2009, Lillie confessed her faith and was baptized.
Some of Lillie’s favorite things were fishing, the neighborhood cats, her flowers, chickens, and keeping walnuts picked up from her yard, all of which she enjoyed even into her 90s.  She enjoyed going south each Labor Day to the family reunion where she connected with siblings, nieces, and nephews at Bennett Springs State Park.  She loved to be visited by family and friends, and always had just one more story to tell, especially if you had your hand on the doorknob on your way out.  She was guaranteed to say “you come back” so until we see her in heaven above, know she loved each one of you.
Through her life, Lillie was a true testimony of a life hard lived, hard loved, and caring to the very end.  Left touched by her life is a daughter, Lydia (Randy) Brumfield of Gravity;  daughter-in-law Linda Young of Pickering, Missouri; grandchildren, Amber (Jerime) Bix, Mandy Brumfield and Adam (Beth) Brumfield, David Green (Danielle Miller), Martha McCartney (Terry Skelly), Tyril (Christy) Green, William ‘Bill’ Young, Michael Young, Jeff (Carina) Degase, Matthew (Jennifer) Degase, Angela (Bob) Shackelford; 32 great-grandchildren; 24 great-great grandchildren; sister Juanita Willis of California; along with numerous extended relatives and a host of friends.
Lillie was preceded in death by her parents, husband Arthur, son William, daughter Barbara and her husband Richard “Tiny” Miller, great grandchildren, Taylor McCartney and Cameron Young, one great-great grandson, siblings Jewel Payne, Bertha Knowles, Gladys Green and Charlie Knowles half siblings, Henry Davis, Eva Payne and Katie Payne, and two brothers-in-law and their wives.