What's New

Photo of the Month

Biographies

Reunions

Interconnectedness

Honor Roll

In Lasting Memory

In the News

Our Mission and Values

Annual Review 2011

Favorite Links

Contact Us

"Box 170, Charleroi" was the most famous address in the Younkin family in the 1930s and early '40s, belonging to Charles Arthur Younkin. "Charleroi Charley" was a businessman, reunion organizer, journalist, letter writer and family cheerleader.  His pioneering genealogy resulted in a national following involving thousands of cousins, during the height of the Great Depression, a phenomenon he called the "great Younkin awakening."  His efforts set the stage for the renewed interest in Younkin family connections today, and the establishment of the Younkin Reunions East and West in the 1990s.

Born at Clay Run, near Mill Run, Fayette County, PA, on April 16, 1880, he was one of 10 children of William Dayton and Lucinda (Harbaugh) Younkin.  He was raised on the family farm, where he no doubt heard many stories of his pioneer Minerd, Younkin and Harbaugh ancestors who had settled in the area. 

Thinking he would become a teacher someday, he studied at a normal school to prepare for an educator's career. But perhaps attracted by the risks and rewards of entrepreneurial opportunity, he became a wholesale grocer and poultry salesman, following in the footsteps of his brothers.

At age 22, on July 30, 1902, Charley married Saloma Hall (1883-1992), the daughter of John L. and Emma Hall. One of Saloma's daughters in law once referred to her as "a grand person." (Saloma's sister Margaret Hall married Charley's distant cousin Brady Scott Harbaugh.)

The Younkins had six children -- Bessie Marie Todd, Clarence William Younkin Sr., Frederick Arthur Younkin, Harold H. Younkin, Emma Lou Gosney Zance and Pauline Bartack.

For the first few years of their married lives, the Younkins resided in the Snydertown section of Connellsville, Fayette County. Sometime in the 1920s, they moved to Charleroi, Washington County, PA, making their home on Fifth Street Extension. Charleroi is a river town in the Monongahela valley, seen here. 

Tragedy struck in 1929, when their married daughter Bessie Todd died in Pittsburgh of tuberculosis, leaving a husband and two young daughters. 

Three years later, on April 21, 1932, the heartache compounded with Saloma died, also of TB, at the age of 49. She was laid to rest in the Younkin family plot at Imel Cemetery near Clay Run. 

Charley was left as a widower at age 49. Having become "engaged in genealogical work" in about 1930, he immersed himself into the field to help overcome his grief. When the Harbaugh Reunion was held in August 1932, the Connellsville (PA) Daily Courier reported that he was elected secretary: "The seventh annual reunion of the Harbaugh family will be held Sunday, August 28, at the Mill Run Baptist Church. The affair will be in the form of a basket picnic. Principal speakers will be Attorney F.E. Younkin of Connellsville and Prof. John Harbaugh of Ohiopyle. Officers are: President, G.H. Adams of Connellsville; vice-presidents, Marshal Harbaugh of Ohiopyle and I.D. Younkin of Connellsville; secretary, Charles A. Younkin of Charleroi."

~ Countless Letters ~

Charley's letter writing was prolific.  Once he wrote that "I myself am not a speaker, but my hobby is writing ... [and] to blow the Younkin horn long and loud."  He considered it his "sacred duty" to help others discover their roots.  In one letter to an Iowa cousin, he wrote:  "My heart is with all you fine Younkin folks in any move to help bind this great family more closely together." 

One letter promoting the reunion stated:  "...anyone who misses this great affair will be missing a treat of their entire life."  Another said that "there is not any charge for the little information we are able to give on your branch though we are always glad to receive contributions to help carry on as we in our research work are at considerable expense...."

~ First of Many Reunions ~

On July 16, 1934, one of his letters arrived at the home of Otto Roosevelt "Pete" Younkin in Masontown, Fayette County. The letter asked Otto to which Younkin branch he belonged and inquired about what he "thought of holding a reunion of the Younkin's."  

Otto replied immediately that he "was in favor and would do what [he] could towards making it a success."

Less than three weeks later, Otto and Charley met for the first time, by accident, in a cemetery near Kingwood, PA  Otto was visiting his mother in the area and decided to visit an old cemetery.  

"Having spent an hour or so in the cemetery," Otto wrote, "we were ready to leave for other old burial grounds when another car drives in through the wilderness. Two men got out of the car, one of them whom I recognized ... [but] the other man was a total stranger to me....  Upon being introduced we learned this stranger to be none other than ... Charles A. Younkin of Charleroi, PA, who was upon a similar mission as ourselves."

And so the friendship began. Charley wrote to Otto proposing that they meet to plan a reunion. They did so, and the first reunion took place on Sept. 2, at the Kingwood Picnic Grove, after they launched an intensive postcard campaign to inform people of the big event.  Charley later wrote that the reunion "sprang up like a mushroom overnight." 

The first reunion drew 400 people. Officers were elected to the new Younkin Family Association: Otto R. Younkin , president; attorney Frederick E. Younkin of Connellsville, PA, vice president;  Charleroi Charley, secretary;  Milton Bruce Younkin of Rockwood, PA, treasurer; and Nellie B. Wiley of California, PA, assistant secretary. Special stationery was printed, and Charley was using it for his letters by the end of the year.

Attendance at later reunions swelled.  The event consisted of picnic meals and singing, orchestra music, speeches, comedy, dancing acts and ventriloquists.  A booth displayed old heirlooms, letters, photos, records, titles and Bibles.  The music was so popular that in 1937 the planners bought a piano "just to be used at this and following reunions."

In 1938, an incredible 1,500 people attended despite being in the chokehold of the Depression.  A columnist for the Pickaway County News, OH, learned of the event and said it was "the largest family reunion of which I have any record..."

~ The Original Younkin Family News Bulletin ~

Six of the original eight editions of the Younkin newspaper, 1937-1941

Of all Charley's accomplishments, perhaps the one with the most impact was as editor of the Younkin Family News Bulletin.  It was a six-page, five-column tabloid.  The price was $1.00 per year. The first issue, dated Christmas 1937, was loaded with family stories and obituaries, a reunion wrapup and letters.  All told, he published eight editions -- Christmas 1937; April 30, 1938; August 5, 1938; December 20, 1938; August 10, 1939; March 15, 1940; Sept. 25, 1940; and June 30, 1941.

By 1941, Charley's health had begun to falter.  He received a letter from cousin Anita L. Eyster, a genealogist from Philadelphia, who stated that "I am certainly sorry to hear that you are laid up.  I am afraid you have always worked too hard."

~ The Beginning of the End ~

Also by 1941, enthusiasm for the YNFB had waned.  Connellsville attorney Fred E. Younkin wrote to Charley in March, saying that if "the present issue of the News Bulletin will be the last ever to be published strikes me with some pain and much concern."

The last known YFNB, dated June 30, 1941, contained a foreshadowing of war. D.G. Younkin of Mesa, AZ, wrote:  "We are certain to be called upon to sacrifice much, to work hard and long with no thought of the dividends which might accrue...."

The "great Younkin awakening" came to a halt during World War II.  Because of rationing of gasoline and fuel oil, automobile trips to reunions were no longer feasible. Due to shortages of paper, publishing was out of the question. And, frankly, interest in subscribing to the newspaper, and attending the annual reunions, had been on the decline for several years. 

Charles did not lost his interest, however, in continuing his landmark research efforts. He again purchased a listing in the 1943 edition of the Handbook of American Genealogy. In his listing, he wrote that he "specializes in Pa.-German pioneers" and was "Genealogist for Younkin family." He said ne wanted to correspond "with all of name Yonkin-Younken-Younkin-Youngken-Youngkin-Younkins-Junkin-Younker." Expanding his focus, he also offered to exchange data on descendants of Casper Harbaugh. Now a "Fellow" of the Institute for American Genealogy, he maintained his title as secretary of the Younkin National Family Association. 

On Jan. 30, 1950, Charley died at his home in Charleroi at the age of 70. His remains were transported to the ancient family burial ground to rest beside his wife in the Imel Cemetery. Following his death, it is said, his research files were thrown away.

In the decades following, many subscribers passed their copies of the Younkin newspaper down to children and grandchildren. This printed record of a golden era in the family has directly led to widespread re-emergence of national interest in Younkin genealogy in the 1990s. In 2007, it was reprinted by the founder of this website, in booklet form, for donation to public libraries all throughout Western Pennsylvania, and for cousins who shared the interest.

Charley is pictured and mentioned in a lavishly illustrated, 2011 book about his uncle Ephraim Miner  -- entitled Well At This Time: the Civil War Diaries and Army Convalescence Saga of Farmboy Ephraim Miner. The book, authored by the founder of this website, is seen at left. [More about the book] 

~ Daughter Bessie Marie (Younkin) Todd ~

Daughter Bessie Younkin (1904-1929) married Albert Todd ( ? - ? ). 

They had two daughters -- Margaret Jean Todd and Audrey Louise Todd. The Todds made their home in Midland, PA. 

Tragically, Bessie contracted a fatal case of tuberculosis. After suffering "a lingering illness," said a newspaper, she died at the home of her parents in Charleroi in 1929. Following a funeral held at the First Christian Church, she was laid to rest in Smithfield Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Albert later married for a second time, but his fate is unknown.

~ Son Clarence William Younkin Sr. ~

Son Clarence William Younkin Sr. (1907-1988) married Mildred Robson (1910-2009) on Aug. 28, 1930. The ceremony took place in the parsonage of the First Presbyterian Church. He was an employee of the former Kinder Mollenauer Store in Charleroi. 

They had four children -- Clarence William Younkin Jr., Irene Cooper, Dorothy Gallagher and Doris Kusaj. 

Clarence passed away in Mon Valley Hospital at the age of 82 on June 18, 1988. He was laid to rest in Monongahela Valley Memorial Park in Donora, Washington County. At the time of his death, he had eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

Mildred outlived Clarence by two decades. She passed away in the Mon Valley Care Center, at the age of 98, on Feb. 15, 2009. By that time, the number of great-grandchildren had swelled to 10.

Son Clarence William Younkin Jr. (1944-2008) was married and had two children -- Carla Stefan and Terry Younkin. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Sadly, Clarence died at age 63 at home in Charleroi on April 23, 2008. He was laid to rest in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, PA.

~ Daughter Emma Lou (Younkin) Gosney Zdancewicz (Zance) ~

At age 18, in 1929, daughter Emma Lou Younkin (1911-1963) married her first husband, 30-year-old William Ferry Gosney (1900- ? ), the son of Theodore and Minnie Gosney. They were 12 years apart in age. The 1930 census shows the couple living in the home of William's parents in Charleroi, with William working as a craneman in a steel mill. They had one son, William T. Gosney. 

Emma later married Edward Zdancewicz (shortened to "Zance"). The wedding was held on April 12, 1944 in the parsonage of the First Christian Church, with Rev. B.R. Mahan officiating. aid the Charleroi Mail, "The couple spent a brief honeymoon in Philadelphia, and are now making their home in Charleroi. The bride is employed in a local store and the broom at the Page Mill in Monessen."

Son William suffered serious injuries in an automobile accident in May 1950. The Charleroi Mail reported that he had a brain concussion, severe laceration of the right knee, fractured right ankle and possible right arm fracture, and forehead lacerations. He first was taken to Monongahela Hospital, but then was rushed to the U.S. Medical Hospital at Carlisle, PA for specialized treatment.

The Zances made their home at 600½ Maple Avenue in Charleroi. Sadly, Emma Lou died at age 52 on June 25, 1963, in Charleroi-Monessen Hospital. Rev. Martin S. Longenecker officiated at her funeral, and she was laid to rest at Monongahela Valley Memorial Park. 

Pennsylvania Railroad station in Charleroi

~ Son Frederick Arthur Younkin ~

Son Frederick Arthur Younkin (1915-1991) married Jean Rice (1915-1986). They lived in Charleroi and had two sons, Frederick William Younkin Jr. and Charles Edward Younkin. 

Fred worked as a furniture warehouse man and was a member of the Moose Lodge, the Russian Club, the Turner Club and was a steward with the Western Pennsylvania Teamsters Union No. 872. 

Sadly, Jean passed away in 1986. 

After her death, Frederick moved to Dodge City, KS, where he attended the Lansing First Baptist Church.

~ Son Harold H. Younkin ~

Son Harold H. Younkin (1920-1990) served in the US Army during World War II. His service included three years of duty in India and Burma. He was discharged in September 1945 and returned home to Charleroi, residing with his married sister Emma.

After the war's end, he married Rose Zurich ( ? - ? ), the daughter of Mary Zurich of Monessen, on June 29, 1946. At the time of marriage, Rose was a waitress in a local restaurant, and Harold was "employed in refrigeration work in Charleroi," said the Charleroi Mail. "Both Miss Zurich and her fiance are popularly known in the valley's younger set." They may have had a son, Harold David Younkin, who married Janet Kucia in November 1967. 

Harold also worked for Corning Glass Works in the Mon Valley. 

In February 1954 he was injured in "a spectacular automobile crash on Route 88 at Wickenham's Corners about midnight," said the Charleroi Mail. "The speeding automobile overturned and was demolished." 

He died at the age of 70 on Nov. 4, 1990. He rests for eternity in Calvary Cemetery in Charleroi.

~ Daughter Pauline (Younkin) Bartack ~

Daughter Pauline Younkin married (?) Bartack. They resided in Buffalo, NY.

~ Louella's Fate ~

Luella remained in Charleroi for five years after Charley's death, and lived a total of 21 years in all in the town. She made her home at 432 Oakland Avenue and was a member of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, the Ladies Auxiliary of Arden Calvert Post 167, Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Ladies Auxiliary of Charleroi American Legion Post 22 and the Iris Rebekah Lodge. Her son James O. Shepard also lived in Charleroi as an adult. Luella died at the age of 60 on Feb. 16, 1955 at the Charleroi-Monessen Hospital. Burial was in the Charleroi Cemetery.

[Note -- Click here for the Younkin DNA study webpage.]

This article is based on "Charleroi Charley's Prolific Pen," in the 1994 edition of the "new" Younkin Family News Bulletin. 

Copyright © 1994, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010 Mark A. Miner