----Source: Clark County News: Aug. 1953; Compiled by Dee Zimmerman for her weekly column "The Good Ole Days" published Aug. 6, 2003.

August 1953

Guy Clarion Youmans, 72, Was interred Tuesday, in the Neillsville city cemetery.

Youmans was the grandson of B.F. French, old "Doc" French of the pioneer. days. His mother was Nettie French, daughter of B.F. French. He was born in the old French home, the site of the present Neillsville Public Library. In telling of his boyhood, a few months ago, he said that he was not delivered into this world by his grandfather, but by a full- fledged licensed practitioner. "Doc" French, though he had a rough-and-ready knowledge of medicine and gave emergency help in the early days, was never licensed to practice medicine. His profession was that of a lawyer.

Guy's father was Clairion A. Youmans, a lawyer of standing in the second generation of the makers of Neillsville, The name long persisted in the Neillsville community through its use to identify the old Youmans mansion on Pleasant Ridge. Lawyer Youmans came into possession of the. mansion and the large farm. Guy was with his father when the place was coming into the family ownership. This event subsequently gave direction to Guy's life, for, with his father's encouragement, he went to the University of Wisconsin for a short course and came back, in his young manhood, to take over the farm enterprise.

After some years, the Youmans farm was sold and Guy became an officer of the old Dairy Exchange bank. In that capacity, he was written up in the American Fanner. The article was seen by the officers of the Chamber of Commerce in Brunswick, Mo. They invited him to come to Brunswick as, secretary of the the Chamber of Commerce. He served in that capacity for three years; then went into road building. During that occupation, dynamite was used and he became blinded by an explosion. This ended most of his activities. The last 20 years of his life were spent in darkness. About a year ago, he returned to Neillsville to be at home. His household consisted of his wife and his daughter, Rita Louise, who spent the weekends in Neillsville. During the week, Rita was at Stevens Point where she works as head of the Home Economics Department of the State Teachers College.

In returning to Neillsville, the Youmans family renewed their old friendships and their old relationships. Mrs. Youmans was Hazel Flynn before her marriage, coming of another old Neillsville family. She is a sister of Arthur Flynn and of Mrs. C.R. Sturdevant. In the immediate family, there are only Mrs. Youmans and the one daughter, Rita Louise. Mr. Youmans is survived by two sisters, Viola Youmans and Beth, wife of Major General C.L. Sturdevant of Silver Springs, Md.

In his early days in Neillsville, Youmans was active in civic affairs. He was one of the five charter members of the Kiwanis Club here. Since his return, he was especially honored by the Masonic order for having rounded out 50 years as a member. He was active in the fair association. He was a member of the Methodist Church. In harmony with these interests of his life, Youman's funeral was held at the Masonic temple, with Masonic rites performed and Rev. Virgil Nulton, the Methodist minister, officiated.

It is an interesting coincidence that in this Centennial year of Clark County, Neillsville was called upon, only a few weeks apart, to inter two of the scions of the oldest families of the community. Guy Youmans was the grandson of B.F. French, a member of the French family, which runs back to the earliest years. "Doc" French was an associate of James O'Neill, Sr., the founder of Neillsville. Of this founder, a grandson has just been interred, Harry Darling, son of Maria O'Neill, the younger daughter of James O'Neill and his first wife, Jane Douglas.

Stevens Point , Wisconsin Central State Teachers' College

In 1927 Stevens Point Normal School became Central State Teachers College and began offering four-year teaching degrees. When post-World War II enrollment became less centered on teacher training and more focused on liberal arts education, the Wisconsin State Legislature intervened, elevating the school to a Wisconsin State College with the authority to grant bachelor's degrees in liberal arts. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia