Frances Lynn Young

Frances “Frankie” Lynn Young died peacefully in her home Sunday, May 29, 2022. She was 79 years old. Born September 10, 1942, in Huntington, WV, Frances was the first child of Berta Mae and John Herman Phillips. She had one brother, Tom Phillips, and the family lived in Huntington. Frances graduated from Huntington High School in 1960 and attended Marshall University. She married Gerald “Jerry” Cline Young and had two children, Sherri and Jeff. The family had a home in Wayne County, WV, and Frances later lived in Huntington and at Ceredo Manor in Kenova, WV. She lived the last few months of her life in the Close to Home assisted living facility in Ironton, OH. Wherever she lived she is fondly remembered as a kind, generous, and warm person. She had deep love for her family, her friends, animals of all kinds (especially cats), a good story, a good joke (or even a bad one), and any sort of crafty project that allowed her to use her abundant creativity and imagination to brighten someone's day. She enjoyed organizing and decorating for parties and seasonal events, and for many Halloween seasons she was locally famous as the candy witch of 15th Street. Many apartments at Ceredo Manor are adorned with Frankie’s wreaths and art work, and someone walking along Center Street in Ironton may still find one of the hand-painted stones she hid there as a surprise gift for a stranger to discover. Frances worked at Guaranty National Bank and the C&P Telephone Co. in Huntington in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and attended Madison Avenue Christian Church, Prince of Peace Freewill Baptist Church, and Buffalo Creek Missionary Baptist Church over the years. She was active with the Democratic Women’s Clubs in Wayne and Cabell Counties in the 1980s and with the Red Hats Club in Ceredo-Kenova in the 2010s. She is survived by her daughter, Sherri Lynn Thompson, and son Jeffrey Alan Young; daughter-in-law, Helen Elizabeth Adams Payne; grandchildren Cory Evan Thacker, Hazel Adelaide Payne-Young, and Louisa Mae Payne-Young; and many loving cousins. She is preceded in death by her: parents, Berta Mae and John Herman Phillips; her close companion Walter Huff; and ex-husband Gerald Young. Rev. Phillip Warren, Pastor of Prince of Peace Freewilll Baptist Church, will lead a graveside service at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3, at Woodmere Cemetery (Section V) in Huntington. Family are welcome to gather there beginning at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local animal shelter or Humane Society chapter. Frances dearly loved her pets and nearly all were strays or were adopted from the local shelter.​ Reger Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.