Floyd Youngblood

May 24, 1918 - May 30, 2011

FLOYD YOUNGBLOOD, 93, OF ROCKY FORD, DIED ON MONDAY, MAY 30TH AT HIS HOME. HE WAS BORN MAY 24TH 1918 TO CHARLES FRANKLIN YOUNGBLOOD AND PEARL ANN KING YOUNGBLOOD IN FAIRLAND, OKLAHOMA AND CAME WITH THEM AND THREE BROTHERS, LEROY, TROY AND TIMOTHY, ALL DECEASED, AND FOUR SISTERS, LILLIS, LILLY, OPAL AND MATILDA (OPAL SURVIVING) TO ROCKY FORD WHEN FLOYD WAS A YOUNG CHILD, PEARL, HIS MOTHER, ALWAYS SAID HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CHILD, THE MOST HELPFUL AND KINDEST OF ALL HER CHILDREN. SHE SAID HE WAS SUCH A BLESSING AND SO DEVOTED TO HER. FLOYD WENT TO SCHOOL UNTIL HE HAD TO GO TO WORK TO HELP OUT THE FAMILY. HE LOVED SCHOOL AND ALL THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE HE WAS ABLE TO RECITE POETRY AND STORIES. THE FAMILY WAS PRIVILEGED TO LISTEN TO HIS POETRY AND MARVEL AT HOW MANY HE WAS ABLE TO REMEMBER OVER THE YEARS WITH A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION. THE FAMILY WAS ALSO PRIVILEGED TO HIS SINGING ABILITY AND HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC. HE SANG US KIDS TO SLEEP AND SANG US AWAKE IN THE MORNING. HE KNEW FROM MEMORY HUNDREDS OF SONGS. FLOYD HAD MANY FARM JOBS: TOPPING ONIONS, WORKING IN THE HAY BUSINESS AND ALSO BREAKING HORSES. WHATEVER IT TOOK; THAT'S WHAT HE DID. AT AGE 15 HE GOT ON AT AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY FOR THEIR CAMPAIGN. HE CONTINUED HELPING HIS FAMILY WITH THEIR NEEDS SO HIS TWO YOUNGEST SISTERS COULD FINISH SCHOOL. HIS SISTER OPAL HAD A FRIEND THAT FLOYD BEGAN TO DATE, EDNA MELLON, WHO ON NOVEMBER 30, 1938 BECAME HIS WIFE. SHE WAS THE LOVE OF FLOYD'S LIFE AND PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 17, 1998 AFTER 59 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS OF MARRIAGE. THEY WERE VERY GOOD MATES AND HAD MANY CHALLENGES WITH HER HEART CONDITION. PERHAPS THAT MADE THEM CLOSER. FLOYD WAS CALLED INTO MILITARY DUTY ON JULY 11, 1944 DURING WORLD WAR II. HE WAS A MORTAR GUNNER AND EXPERT INFANTRY RIFLEMAN. EVEN THOUGH FLOYD WILLINGLY AND COURAGEOUSLY SERVED HIS COUNTRY, IT TOOK ITS TOLL. HE LANDED ON MINANAO ISLAND, PHILIPPINES BATTLE ZONE, THEN LATER WAS DEPLOYED TO LEYETE ISLAND. THE THINGS HE SAW AND WENT THROUGH WERE HORIFFIC. THESE WERE TWO OF THE MOST BRUTAL THEATERS OF WORLD WAR II. HE WAS AMONG THE BEST OF PATRIOTIC VETERANS, NEVER A HAT ON OR A HAND NOT OVER HIS HEART AS "OLE GLORY" PASSED BY. HE LEFT ACTIVE DUTY AS A TECH V. BEING APART DURING THIS TIME CEMENTED THE BOND BETWEEN FLOYD AND EDNA. HE AND SHE WERE FOREVER GRATEFUL THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT MADE IT HOME. ONCE HOME, FLOYD WENT BACK TO WORK AT AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR FACTORY FULL TIME, WORKING THERE WITH HIS SPECIAL BROTHER-IN-LAW, ALBERT SWITSER. HE RETIRED FROM AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR FACTORY AROUND 1980. FLOYD WAS A GENEROUS, GIFTED MAN WITH MANY LOVES. FIRST WAS FAMILY, HIS COUNTRY, MUSIC, HIS POETRY, AND PLAYING CARDS. HE WAS A WHIZ AT PINOCHILE, SPORTS, CAMPING, AND FISHING. AS A SPECTATOR HE ESPECIALLY LOVED THE DENVER BRONCOS AND THE COLORADO ROCKIES. FLOYD WAS VERY GIFTED IN GARDENING FROM RADISHES TO TOMATOES, FROM TULIPS TO ROSES, AND GAVE THEM FREELY TO ALL. HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL WOOD WORKER AND PRODUCED MANY, MANY PIECES THAT WERE ALSO GIVEN WITH LOVE. HE WAS A GREAT COOK AND NOTHING PLEASED HIM MORE THAN TO SHARE A HOME-COOKED MEAL AND ONE OF HIS SPECIAL DUMP CAKES. NO ONE COULD EVEN GUESS HOW MANY COOKIES HE HAD BAKED. HE REALLY ENJOYED HIS SWEETS AND LOVED GIFTING THEM. ONE OF HIS FAVORITE PLACES WAS AT HIS KITCHEN TABLE WITH HIS FAMILY, A CUP OF COFFEE, AND PLATTER OF HIS COOKIES TO SHARE. FLOYD AND EDNA HAVE TWO SONS AND ONE DAUGHTER, DAVID F. YOUNGBLOOD, HIS WIFE, DARLA, CHARLES E. YOUNGBLOOD, HIS MATE K.T. MILLER, SALLY L. GUNTER, HER HUSBAND, TAJ. GRANDCHILDREN, DAVID, HIS WIFE DEBBIE, PHILLIP, HIS WIFE STEPHANIE, FLOYD, AND MOLLY YOUNGBLOOD, DALYNN JORDAN, DANIEL MORGAN, HIS WIFE DENA, STEP-GRANDSONS, BRETT, ROB, AND CODY PICKERING, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, MEGAN, DAVID, JENNIFER, ANDREA, JAKE, JACK, MATTHEW, HIS MATE KYRA, ASHLEY, HEATHER, JANA, SAM, HIS WIFE HOLLY AND AVA. ONE GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON, BRADEN. ALSO SURVIVING ARE TWO "HANAI" SONS, BASIL AND ROBERT MELLON, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS, AND SPECIAL FRIEND, BEVERLY BAIRD. Graveside Service will be at the Hillcrest Cemetery, Rocky Ford, CO, at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 3rd, 2011. Interment will be in the Hillcrest Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Ford-Ustick Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to www.fordustick.com.