Obituary
Colone Nichols Young was born in Carlisle, Arkansas on November 29, 1939 to J. C. Nichols and Gladys Meryl Baker Nichols and transitioned to her heavenly home on September 15, 2015. Preceded in death by both parents, her two sisters, Alyce Rhodes and Mae Etta Smith, and four brothers, AB Nichols, AD Nichols, Chester Nichols and Clarence Nichols.
She accepted Christ and was baptized in September, 1950 and became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Carlisle, AR.
Educated at Carver in Lonoke, AR, she graduated at 16 skipping two grades becoming the youngest to graduate in May, 1957. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Philander Smith College, in 1968 and a MSE Degree in Special Education with a minor in Elementary Education from Arkansas State University in 1971.
October 17, 1958, she married her high school sweetheart, James Young. To this union three children were added. After moving in 1958 to Scott, Arkansas with James, she joined Zion Chapel Baptist Church in Scott, AR. On January 13, 1974, she and James along with son Gary and daughter Debora united with the St. John Missionary Baptist Church, under the leadership of Reverend C. Dennis Edwards I.
She began her employment with the Little Rock School District as a Special Education teacher at Gillam Elementary in January, 1968 and ended her tenure with LRSD in June, 1977 at Franklin Elementary. From August, 1974 until May, 1976 she taught courses for the Education Department in Special Education at Philander Smith College. She later joined Pulaski County Special School District where she taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades at Scott Elementary and Warren Dupree Elementary until her retirement. Colone’s passion for children ,teaching and learning earned her many awards and recognitions including being nominated for National Teacher of the year at Dupree Elementary in Jacksonville, AR in 1993 and receiving the Bobby G. Lester Teaching Excellence Award and the James H. Atkinson Award for the teaching of Arkansas History in 1993-1994. She was a member of many professional associations including AEA, NEA and PACT.
During, before and after her teaching tenure, she always had a second career, Sales. She loved sales achieving Branch Manager and top seller in Contempo Jewelry, Jewels by Park Lane, Home Interior and Gifts, Watkins Products Inc., and Sarah Coventry Jewelry. Also, she bought her first car with money earned from selling Avon products. Also as top seller in many of the companies, Colone earned numerous trips, furs and jewelry. She also made many lifelong friends and many know Colone because she either recruited them to sell with her or they were her customers. Colone along with her husband James also owned Flowers and Gifts by Colone. She had a passion for sells and entrepreneurship and helping those around her.
Colone served for many years as the pianist for the Zion Chapel Choir at Zion Chapel Baptist Church in Scott, AR. She taught piano lessons to many children in the church including her own children. At St. John Missionary Baptist, Colone served many years as Superintendent for the Children’s Sunday School department. She planned, organized and even sold dinners with Mother Couch to provide trips to Florida on numerous occasions for the children’s Sunday School department and families. She helped start, along with her friend Willie M. Paxton, the first Church Library at St. John. Colone also served on the Deaconess Board and was later appointed to the Mother’s Board. Mother Young was a faithful member of the Tele Sunday School class.
Colone leaves to cherish her memory her husband James of 57 years, two sons, James(Phyllis) Young of Little Rock and Gary Young of Scott, AR and one daughter, Debora(Cliff) Cosen of Little Rock. 11Grandsons, Brandon (Janai) Mitchell, Antwone (Denise) Young, Damian (Tameka)Young, Trammell (Kendra) Young, Adrian Young, Kenny Harris, Kevin Smith, Trent Smith, Tommy Webb, Patrick Webb and Jonathan Thomas. Four Granddaughters, Lakeshia Young, Nikki (James) Davis, Michelle Caster, and Joyce Thomas. Two brothers, Herman (Theresa) Nichols, and Broderick (Dorothy) Nichols. One uncle Chester (Betty) Nichols of Ft. Smith and one aunt Gladys Turner of Scott, AR. Our beloved extended family; The Everette, Smith, and Johnson families; and many great grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
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