James B. Young, Sr.

James B. Young, Sr., age 97, of Clermont died August 31, 2021 and was born August 5, 1924.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 74 yrs. Mongah Haynes Young, his parents, Charlie Doyle (CD) and Lucille Berry Young, brothers Charles and Edward and sisters Gladys, Miriam and Sarah.

Survived by his namesake son James B. Young, Jr. (Nanci) and daughter Martha J. Young, grandson Peyton Young (Christina) and great grandson Matteo, he leaves a great void in our lives.

James joined the Army Air Force at the age of 18 and served in WWII with the 459th Bomb Group, 759th Bomb Squadron as the nose gunner-armorer on the B-24. He always said he was the first one to the fight. James started his family when he came back from WWII, working for the Georgia Power company in Jonesboro Georgia but was called back to service in 1951 to serve in the Air Force SAC as Central Fire Control on the B-50 for the Korean War. He left North Georgia College mid-term to serve and although he took college courses over the years in service and after, he lacked 2 quarters getting his degree. Instead, he decided that he would sell property and got both his real estate and brokerage licenses and formed Lanier Land Realty.

James was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Concord Baptist Church and was scoutmaster of their Boy Scout Troop 259. He took great joy in teaching young men the skills for their merit badges and the yearly trips to the Okefenokee Swamp were the highlight of many conversations over the years.

James and Mongah owned and operated J.B. Young gas and grocery, what people now call a “convenience store”, for many years while working on the farm, raising cattle, corn and peanuts, sometimes plowing on his tractor all night just to get things done to be able to go do his day job the next morning.

James worked as the transportation director for the Hall County School System for a number of years. He served on the board of directors for Hall County Farm Bureau as well. He was a 32nd degree Mason, member of the Clermont Lodge and the Yaarab Shrine Temple in Atlanta with a 75 year pin.

For over 20 years, James was Postmaster at the Clermont Post Office. He always got exemplary reviews for his pristine reports and bookkeeping. Since he was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, the post office was like a jail to him. But he made up for it when he retired. He and Mongah bought a cabin on Cooper’s Creek and they stayed up there for over 22 years. They were so isolated that many days the only vehicle to go past their home was the mailman. He loved and got to fully enjoy his time in the mountains. And any man that shook hands with James always knew it was going to be painful! Remember him and have a chuckle.

Due to the circumstances surrounding the current virus situation, there will be a celebration of life gathering to be planned at a later date.

Many thanks to Jerry Ward of Memorial Park Funeral Home North for taking care of James and his family.

Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel Gainesville, Georgia. Online condolences at www. Memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.