THE YOUNG MONUMENT |
It has always been a bone of contention for members of the YOUNG family that in Haldimand County, the NELLES family has been memorialized in many ways, while the contributions of the Young family had received scant attention. For example, the tombstone of the family patriarch Capt. Henry William Nelles was placed in a cairn at St. Johns Anglican Church in York on the Grand River; and as well a Provincial road side plaque notes the "Nelles Settlement" and the influence of the Nelles family to the history of the area. While this was fair and reasonable, many YOUNG descendants asked why their family should be virtually ignored - condsidering that Lt. John Young was the first White settler on the Grand River (prior to 1782). Thus a group of Young descendants led by Stewart and Gladys Young (locals) and Marnie Bruce (from Ottawa) got together in 1997 and formed a committee to rectify this situation. They chose to have a large granite marker with a brass memorial plaque placed in a prominent position along Highway 54 (on a spot donated by the Timmerman family). There is a pull off spot, and the monument is flanked by two Canadian flags. This prominent monument is a fitting memorial to the pioneering role of the Young family in the history and heritage of the area. The monument is on the west side of the Highway, and overlooks the Cemetery (which has been recently protected prior to restoration). The unveiling of the memorial occurred the 12th of September 1998. |