Submitted by Norma Jean Huss
As one of the distinguished members of the bar of Southern Illinois and as one who has given most effective service in offices of public trust. Fred R. Young well merits consideration as one of the representative citizens of the favored section of Illinois to which this Industrial edition is devoted. Further interest attaches to his career by reason of the fact that he is a native son of the state and a scion of its early and sterling pioneer families.
Fred R. Young was born at Brookport on the 11th day of April, 1871, and is the son of Dr. John D. Young, one of the oldest residents of the county and who is now living at Brookport. Dr. John D. Young emigrated to Massac County when he was a small boy and shortly after he enlisted in the civil war. he returned to this county and as stated above, is yet living and resides at Brookport.
The subject of this sketch, Fred R. Young, received his early education at Eureka College, Woodford county, Illinois, and after deciding that he would enter the law field went to the renown Weslyan Law College at Bloomington, in 1896. He was a few months later, August 1, 1897, to be explicit, admitted to the bar and then came back to Metropolis and began the practice which has resulted in unexcelled success.
Mr. Young has ever given a stanch allegiance to the Republican party and has been one of its influential representatives in Southern Illinois. He is now completing his third term as State's Attorney and we now of no greater compliment that could be possibly paid to a man than to state that he upon three different occasions has been elected state's attorney of a county. his first election as such occurred in 1900. At the expiration of that he was appointed postmaster of Metropolis and served as such for two years. Then came the resignation of Judge Sawyer as State's Attorney and the people universally demanded Mr. Young back into the office and he was elected for the second time. When the term expired he was again re- elected and as stated above is now finishing up that term. During his many years as State's Attorney, Mr. Young has held the profound respect and admiration of all classes by his masterful conduction of the functions of that important office. While he prosecuted with all his vigor, yet not once did he try to persecute or endeavor to take unfair advantage of a man accused of crime.
Mr. Young was united in marriage on December 27th, 1897, and he chose as his life companion Miss Azzie Jones, the accomplished daughter of Judge and Mrs. B.O. Jones. To this union three daughters have been born, Laura, aged 16 years; Helen, aged 14 and Lucy, who is four years old.
Mr. Young is a member of the Masonic lodge in three branches and is in every way one of the materially beneficial citizens of Metropolis and Massac County.
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