Kevin R. Young grew up on the banks of the North Fork of the Vermilion River
amidst the cornfields of East Central Illinois. "Home" is the beautiful town of
Rossville in Vermilion County. His father ran the Young Funeral Home,
located in the former John Mann, Jr. Home on North Chicago Street (the Dixie
Highway). His mother was a fifth generation Vermilion County resident, who
was active in the Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs and was among the
determined band of Rossville women who helped restore historic Mann's
Chapel in 1959.
Kevin's father was also a well known Lincoln and Civil War Buff, active in the
Vermilion County Historical Museum and the Ward Hill Lamon Civil War
Round Table. He was among those instrumental in placing a headstone on the
grave of Mariah Vance, a servant in the Springfield Home of Abraham
Lincoln who is buried in Danville's Springhill Cemetery.
Street in Danville one evening in 1961 introduced Kevin to John
Wayne's The Alamo. The result was a love of history that took
him on a 25 year career path in that subject, including working
on several feature films and documentaries. He is still
considered one of the experts on the Alamo , the Texas
Revolution, and 19th century US and Mexican history. He is a
graduate of Eastern Illinois University.
Den at Gettysburg in 1964.
(1804-1874) was Kevin's great-great-great-great-grandfather. He and his wife Margaret Falls (1807-1889) came from
Virginia to Indiana then into Vermilion County, Illinois in 1828, settling in the Westville-Georgetown area. Their fifth
child, Eliza (1829-1926) married Daniel Suycott in 1853. f you have the last name Suycott, you are related to anyone
else with that name. Daniel Suycott was a Swiss born immigrant to Georgetown, Illinois. He worked as a tailor. Daniel
married Eliza Ann Finley in 1853. They had three children; Clinton (1854-1876); David (1857-1926), and Wilbert
Henry (1867-1950). Little is known about Daniel's life before 1853. The name Suycott was probably changed when he
came to the United States and while he was born in Bern, Switzerland, the family may be of French.Italian.Alasatian
background.
Daniel joined Company C of the 73rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1862. He was wounded and captured at the battle
of Stone's River, January 1, 1863. Held in Libby Prison for about four weeks, he was paroled, but remained ill due to
his wounds (all internal) for the rest of the war. Daniel moved his family to Rossville, Illinois
sometime about 1868. Despite being in constant pain, Daniel still ran his tailor shop and was active in the Major Lee
Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Daniel finally died of his wounds in 1884 and is buried at Rossville. Eliza
eventually moved into the old Soldiers Home in Quincey, Illinois where she died in 1926. She is also
buried in Rossville
Kevin is a member of Clan Anderson. Through his
great-grandmother, the family
is descended from the Rev. James Anderson. Anderson
was a Scottish born Presbyterian Minister who was
eventually called to the Donegal Springs, Pennsylvania
Church where he and his wife are buried in the
churchyard. James' grandson fought in the American
Revolution (at Trenton) and served as a captain
in the War of 1812. Kevin's family is also descended
from the Opies, Voorhies and Garland families.
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