Alvin Lee Young, age 88, of Miles City

Alvin Lee Young, age 88, of Miles City passed away Thursday October 1, 2015 at the Holy Rosary Healthcare Facility.

Alvin was born on January 22, 1927, in Terry Montana to Paul E. and Nellie (Heron-Gipson) Young. He was the youngest of five children.

He attended Elementary School and started High School in Terry. His love of sports started at a young age and continued throughout all of his life. As a freshman, he broke his arm and couldn’t play basketball, so he was drafted to be the coach of the Jr. High team. At 15, he transferred to Clovis, NM, and then on to Tacoma, WA. After his discharge from the Army he took his High School Equivalency Test in Tacoma to receive his diploma.

Alvin and his brothers all helped with the horses for the family dray business in Terry. He spent the majority of his childhood on the back of a horse. At the age of 9, he started to be the jockey for the ranch horses, in the local cow horse races. He set the track record at Glendive, MT for 5/8 mile on a horse named Arrowhead at age 11, in 1938.

In 1935, Paul took over a homestead on the Powder River, North of Locate, which became the home ranch. The boys spent summers there helping out and the winters in Terry going to school. They had to remove the wild horses from the area, so a lot of their time was spent catching these wild horses, to make room for the horses and cattle they were going to raise.

In 1942, his parents divorced and he, his younger siblings and his mother relocated to Clovis, NM, before moving to Tacoma, WA. Alvin and his mother both became welders in the Todd Shipyards, where they welded on Aircraft Carriers for the war.

Alvin joined the Army at age 17, where he served honorably until his discharge, from Fort Lewis Washington, on December 4, 1946. He was a rifleman with the rank of PFC. He was the recipient of the Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal (Japan).

Alvin returned home to the ranch on Powder River, where he remained until 1977. The Young’s TY Ranch was known all around the country for the top quality Registered Quarter Horses and Registered Angus cattle that were raised there.

Alvin married the love of his life, Viola Rollinson, on December 31, 1956. They returned to the family ranch where they raised their daughters Gloria, Dawn and Lesa. Alvin always included the girls in all of the ranch operations, riding, calving, haying, irrigating, branding and all else that is needed to operate a ranch of twenty sections.

In May of 1977, the ranch was sold. Alvin and Viola then changed lifestyles and purchased the Alzada Bar & Café, in Alzada, MT. The bar was a good business for him as he never knew a stranger and had a gift for talking to anyone, and as Viola is an excellent cook, the café was her forte. He was known far and wide as “ol’ you betcha” by all of the people passing through. He enjoyed a good game of cards, pitch or poker mostly, but any game would do, and a good BS session was always in order.

In May of 1992, Alvin and Viola decided to sell the business and retire to Miles City where he lived until his death. They still enjoyed going out dancing and just to socialize with old friends. The stories he would tell of his life experiences were always a big hit.

Alvin is survived by his wife Viola, daughters-Dawn (Lorn) Davis, of Miles City & Lesa Goton of Shell, WY, Grandchildren-Tammy (Mike) Wajer of Great Falls, MT, Wendy (RJ) Schenk of Jordan, MT and Megan (Levi) Gordon of Miles City, Chayce Goton of Seattle, WA and Hayden Goton of Riverton, WY, Great-Granddaughters- Carly Schenk of Jordan, and Kimber Gordon of Miles City. Brother Glen (Vicki) Young of Miles City and many nieces and nephews.

Alvin was preceded in death by a daughter-Gloria Young, his parents and step parents Paul (Lydia) Young and Nellie (Jack) Cressey, brothers Chet and Eugene and a sister Lila Hewitt.

Alvin was probably best known for his big smile and booming laugh. Oh yeah, don’t forget the cowboy hat-felt, winter and summer, and his boots-always polished. He was always first and foremost a cowboy who lived the dream that most people can only fantasize about. He had a love of a good horse and idolized a few of the best he had known and ridden. He loved his family with all of his heart and was oh so proud of what each of us has accomplished in life. His intelligence and sense of humor were boundless qualities, he was always ready for a good joke, even if it was on him. Growing up on a ranch as we did instilled a work ethic in each of his descendants that we hope will carry on for more generations to come. Will he be missed “You betcha!”

Family will receive friends on Friday, October 9, 2015 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Prairie County Cemetery in Terry with full military honors. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City of Miles City is in charge of the arrangements.

Service Schedule

Family to Receive Friends

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Friday October 9, 2015

Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home

1717 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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Funeral Service

1:00 p.m.

Saturday October 10, 2015

Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home

1717 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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Graveside Service with Full Military Honors

4:30 p.m.

Saturday October 10, 2015

Prairie County Cemetery

Terry, Montana 59349

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