Wilbur Clayton Young was born January 13, 1935, to Leonard and Gertrude (Lawrence) Young in Potsdam, New York. He died at his home here in Rapid City on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at the age of 82.

He attended schools in Watertown, New York. In 1953, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and went through Basic Training in Texas. He was then stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base for the rest of his enlistment except for 3 months of training in Guam.

On July 30, 1955, Wilbur married Harriet Poss at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Rapid City. They had four children, Guy, Paul, Amy and Jack.

Wilbur worked construction, including on the St. Lawrence Seaway in NY and the Minuteman Missiles here in the Black Hills. Due to a work-related injury and a car accident, he became disabled.

Wilbur was an avid hunter and fisherman and taught his sons to hunt and fish and to be a good sportsman. In Jan 1970, while ice fishing with Guy and Paul at Canyon Lake, a 10-year old boy fell through the ice. Wilbur grabbed a branch, inched out on the ice until the boy could reach the branch and then eased him back and rescued the boy.

Wilbur was preceded in death by his parents, 3 brothers and 3 sisters. He will be greatly missed by his children, Guy Young, Paul (Dori) Young, Amy (Darin) Perkins, and Jack (Sheila) Young. Also surviving are six grandchildren, Jesse Young, Sammi (Brawny) Post, Sunny Young, Jamie (Toby) Mauck, Josh Teal, Amanda (Tyler) Keller, and seven great-grandchildren; a sister-in law, Jessie Young, and numerous nieces and nephews.