Walter Young (1880-1964) was born July 2, 1884 in rural Marion County, Illinois, near Centralia. His parents were Chauncey and Georgana Young. His wife was Matilda Alsup, whom he married in 1921. She passed away in 1935. He had five sisters and three brothers. He came to Champaign from Salem, Illinois, in 1913, and was employed by Professor J.C. Blair, whom he met in Salem in 1910. He worked in the University of Illinois Horticulture Department for 37 years, retiring in 1952. He lived at 706 W. Clark, in Urbana. Young handled horses and worked in the gardens. A scrapbook documenting portions of his life has been digitized and is available online: Walter Young Scrapbook.