Biography of John F. Young
It appears that all of John M. Young's children had moved away from the family homestead, except for John Fleming who ran the farm after John M.'s death until 1883. John Fleming Young married Susan Hall in 1880. Susan's brother, Elmer Hall, lived with them for a time according 1880 census data. John F. finally left the farm and moved to a house on Hendricks St. in Shelbyville about the time his daughter Pearl was born. He operated a livery stable. Susan died from childbed fever after the birth with their second child, David; he also died about a month later. What happened to Susan's brother is unknown. The 1890 census was destroyed and he would have been grown anyway by 1900. In 1889 John F. married his second wife, Lena Stephan, whose uncle owned and operated the Stephan shoe store. Lena had been living with the Elliot family in Shelbyville for 18 years as a housekeeper. Together John F. and Lena had two children, George Elliot and John Stephan. Lena's former employer must have influenced George's middle name.
John F. was elected a member of the Shelbyville City Council in 1894 from the 4th ward on the Republican ticket. He joined the Odd fellows in 1888. In 1885 John F. started a sprinkling system for merchants and residents to reduce the constant dust stirred up each summer. Owning a livery stable made this a natural extension of his existing business. A large yellow barrel drawn by two horses from his livery sprinkled water each day for a fee. In 1906, after John F.'s death the Street Sprinkling Association was incorporated with several prominent citizens listed as owners. The association started using oil to defeat the dust, but that made the streets much slicker.
John F. died from tuberculosis after a few months of illness. He was the Worshipful Master of the I.O.O.F, Shelby Lodge 39.