OBIT: Colwell S. YOUNKIN, 1946, Confluence, Somerset County, PA 

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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COLWELL S. YOUNKIN

Somerset County's Venerable County Surveyor Dead

  Colwell S. Younkin, Somerset County's venerable County Surveyor, died in the 
Price Hospital, Confluence, Monday, June 10.  Had he lived 20 days longer he 
would have been 93 years old.  He had suffered a slight stroke and was taken to 
the hospital where he peacefully passed away the following day.
  Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Humbert Funeral Home, 
after which his body was taken to the Jersey Church cemetery for interment.
  He was born June 30, 1853, near Confluence, a son of Jacob J. and Deborah 
(Hartzell) Younkin.  In his early youth he manifested intellectual ability far 
above the average and without much schooling acquired an education equivalent to 
that of a university degree.
  In his young manhood he held many local offices and assisted the civil 
engineers in laying the B. & O. tracks through Confluence.  He also assisted in 
making the first geological survey of Pennsylvania in 1873 and received mention 
in the published report of it as a promising young engineer.
  He was the Federal census taker of Lower Turkeyfoot Township for three 
decades, and engaged extensively in land surveying in the Turkeyfoot region at 
an early age, and was a licensed surveyor and practiced surveying and civil 
engineering and mining engineering for more than half a century.
  He succeeded the late Ireneus S. Pile as the elected County Surveyor of 
Somerset County, to which he was elected for five four-year terms, and during 
his latter years was the oldest elected public officeholder in the State of 
Pennsylvania.  His last term as County Surveyor would have expired Jan. 1, 1948.
  Although the need for a county surveyor no longer exists in Somerset County, 
the law provided for election of such officer and each term Mr. Younkin was the 
only nominee and was elected.
  Throughout his many years as county surveyor, during which time he was not on 
the county payroll, he practiced his profession as a land surveyor, and was 
active until his last illness.  No matter what kind of weather prevailed, if Mr. 
Younkin was called to make a survey, he would brave the elements, and was said 
to have known the mountainous territory of Somerset County better than any other 
man.
  In addition to surveying, his great hobby was bee culture, and along with 
other work, he took care of a large apiary for more than 50 years.  He was the 
first scientific apiarist in Somerset County and the first importer of Italian 
bees.
  Among his other accomplishments was that of ventriloquism.  As a ventriloquist 
he had few equals and no superiors.  He was the Edgar Bergen of his day, holding 
inanimate dummies like "Charlie McCarthy" on his knees and making them speak 
like humans.
  He gave public lectures on Ventriloquism, Astronomy and Geology, on all of 
which subjects he was well informed.
  On August 18, 1885, he was married to Miss Emma Ringer, daughter of the late 
Josiah Ringer of Listonburg.
  Surviving are two children: Ernest Younkin of Confluence, and Mrs. Emma 
Younkin Lincoln, Connellsville; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Meyersdale Republican, June 20, 1946