Roper Funeral Home and Crematory 206 Holly St Jasper, GA 30143 (706) 253-7500 (706) 253-0040 www.roperfuneralhome.com Following a two-year battle against cancer, Hettie Young went home to our Lord on October 12, 2024. Born Henrietta White Darnell on June 20, 1946, Hettie was the youngest of three children of J.S. and Henrietta Darnell. After spending the first three years of her childhood in Talking Rock, Hettie's family moved to their new home at 665 South Main Street in Jasper. Hettie's childhood consisted of visiting with friends and playing under the large magnolia tree in the front yard, swinging and singing in the backyard, attending movies at the Jasper Theater, eating ice cream at Jasper Drug and learning life lessons from older siblings John and Rebecca. Her Christian faith has long been instrumental in her life. She was in the first group baptized in the "new" First Baptist Church in 1955 at the age of 9, and she would watch her children be baptized in the same sanctuary many years later. Hettie was very active in 4-H, and she had an opportunity to travel to Chicago with the Georgia delegation of Master 4-Hers. She also played on the women's half-court basketball team and was valedictorian of Pickens High School class of 1964. Hettie went on to study English at the University of Georgia, where she met the love of her life, Alvin Young. Hettie and Alvin were married August 26, 1967, at Jasper First Baptist Church, and they would go on to spend the next 57 years of their lives together. Shortly after their wedding, they moved to Washington D.C., where Hettie worked in the office of Congressman Phil Landrum, while Alvin worked for Senator Richard Russell. It was a fascinating and unique first year of marriage. They obtained season tickets for the newly reopened Ford Theatre, interacted with numerous government officials, and witnessed the riots within the city following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Following their time in Washington D.C., Hettie and Alvin moved into married housing on campus at UGA while Alvin finished up his Master's Degree in History. Hettie was a life-long educator, obtaining a Master's Degree in Vocational Leadership. She taught English in Winder, Griffin, Lagrange and Crawfordville and later at Pickens Technical Institute in Jasper. She finished her teaching career in probably her favorite role as media specialist at R. M. Moore Elementary in Waleska. She felt like a grandmother figure to many of the children while she was still anxiously hoping for grandchildren of her own. Her passion for education extended into the community, as she served as chair of the Friends of the Pickens County Library and spearheaded the construction of the new library in Jasper, which opened in 1996. Hettie was very active at Jasper First Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School, Acteens, and Mission Friends. She also served in leadership with Vacation Bible School and Women on Mission, and she was the first female ordained as a Deacon within the church. She was also active in Beta Eta, Pickens Retired Educators, and American Cancer Society. Hettie always enjoyed interacting with other people, and she was able to carry on a conversation with anyone. Some of her favorite memories were camping trips with her family and other members of the Sharptop Mountain Camping Club. She always made time for her children, attending numerous sporting events and other extracurricular activities, even serving as a little league baseball coach. Hettie finally became a grandmother in 2009 and had the joy of seeing all of her grandchildren take their first steps. She was also blessed to see each of them baptized. She loved playing board games and card games, and she was particularly adept at Russian Bank and Canasta. After her retirement in 2005, she and Alvin took a motorhome trip across the entire western US, following the Lewis and Clark Trail from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Over the years, she was able to visit every U.S. state with the exception of Hawaii. Hettie was a great encourager to all she knew and always saw the good in people. She loved her family, her church, and her friends. She also loved celebrating people at any birthday party, wedding, or shower she could attend. Hettie is survived by her husband, Alvin; children, Leigh Young and Joe Young; daughter-in-love, Vickie Young; grandchildren, Henry Anderson, Katie Young, Lynn Young; sister, Rebecca Forrester; sister-in-love, Lucy Darnell; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at Roper Funeral Home, 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024 and at the First Baptist Church of Jasper beginning at 9:00 on Monday, October 21, 2024 with Memorial Service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Graveside Service will follow at the Morrison-Darnell Cemetery in Talking Rock. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jasper First Baptist Church Endowment Fund. Arrangements are entrusted to the Staff of Roper Funeral Home and Crematory.