Updated: 06 Sep 2009

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JOHN W. YOUNG
Sapulpa Herald, Creek Co., OK
01-04-1944
Photo

John Weir Young, age 66, pioneer Sapulpan and editor and publisher of the Sapulpa Herald since 1916, died at the city hospital at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon after an eight week illness there. He had been in failing health since late September.

A heart ailment and complications were the contributing factors to his death.

He was preceded in death by his wife on November 12. Mr. Young had been confined to his bed some time prior to Mrs. Young's death. He was removed to the hospital for treatment a few days before her death, but was brought to the family residence at 317 South Water street for her funeral rites. He was returned to the hospital after the services.

No children survive. Dr. and Mrs. G. A. Farris, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, of this city, survive, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright, a niece and nephew, of Venetia, Calif., who have been at Mr. Young's bedside for the past month, also survive. A brother, James Young, of Lowell, Ark., who arrived here this week also survives.

The body was taken to the Landrith funeral home this afternoon.

Funeral services will be held at 4 o'clock at the First Baptist church on Thursday afternoon. The body will be brought to the home of Dr. and Mrs. Farris tomorrow afternoon where it will lie in state until the funeral hour. Burial will be made in South Height Cemetery.

Mr. Young was born in Barton county, Missouri, near Lamar, in 1877. He attended school in Lamar and later college in that city. He was associated with a weekly paper there before coming to Sapulpa in March of 1908 to be employed by O.M. Irelan, publisher of the Sapulpa Light at that time.

Mr. Young was married in September of that same year.

The Light was sold to W. E. Verity in 1910 and Mr. Young remained with Verity for a year and a half.

When the Light was taken over by the Sapulpa American operated by Dennis Flynn, some years later, Young continued with Flynn for a short time.

At the time Fred Johannes started a newspaper in this city, called the Sapulpa Democrat. Young joined his staff where he remained until the late summer of 1914. It was about his time that the Sapulpa Democrat went out of business.

In September of 1914, Young, O.S. Todd and O.M. Irelan took over the Johannes plant and started the present Sapulpa Herald.

Todd served in the capacity as news editor of the Herald for several years and young operated the business end, both as lessees from Ireland. It was about the year of 1916 that young bought out Todd's interests and later bought Ireland's holdings in the Sapulpa Herald.

The Herald became one of the leading daily papers in this area. It is one of the oldest clients of the United press leased wire service in Oklahoma. (Continued on Page Two) [note: we did not have the continuing page]