James M. Young

Dr. James M. Young went to meet his Lord on July 11, 2019. He was born on November 13, 1924, in Choudrant, LA, where he lived with his grandparents until the age of 6 when he moved to Ruston with his mother, Ila May Gibson. He attended Choudrant Grammar School for first grade, Hillcrest Elementary School, Ruston High School, and Louisiana Tech, where he graduated with honors. During World War II, he joined the Navy, where he completed his training as a Naval aviator. He was assigned to duty on an aircraft carrier just as the war ended.

James M. married June Buckner of Ruston on August 24, 1946. The couple moved to New Orleans where he attended medical school at LSU. Upon graduation, they moved to Panama where James M. completed his surgical internship in preparation for a medical career with the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board.

In 1954, the Youngs were assigned to the Gaza Strip in the Middle East, and James M. headed up the Baptist Hospital there for 10 years.

In 1964, the Youngs opened the first Baptist Mission work in Yemen, building a hospital complex in the town of Jibla. They continued their medical ministry there until retirement from the Mission Board in 1987.

James M. and June returned to north Louisiana, where he worked in hospitals in Monroe and Ruston until the year 2000.

In retirement, James M. built and ran a chicken farm on his grandfather’s land near Dubach, which remains operational today.

James M. is survived by his beloved wife, June, sons Bruce (Becky), and Mark (Chloe), and daughters Kay Lueg (Gene), and Jo Blevins (Carter), 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Special thanks to those who provided home care for James M. and caregivers at the Green Clinic and Northern Louisiana Medical Center.

Funeral arrangements have been made through Kilpatrick’s Funeral Home and Temple Baptist Church.