Marilyn Yvonne Grinstead Young

Marilyn Yvonne Grinstead Young passed away peacefully at her home at St. Paul’s, where she had been living for more than 14 years, on March 5, 2025. Marilyn would have celebrated her 94th birthday on March 20th. She was born to the late John Louis Nicholas and Ruth (Martin) Grinstead.

Marilyn grew up in Cicero, Berwyn, River Forest, and Oak Park, Illinois. She enjoyed reading mysteries and listening to “The Shadow” each Sunday afternoon on the radio. Marilyn had an amazing doll collection starting with a type of doll carved out of wood. Through the years, she has received many from all over the world.

At the age of 10, Marilyn joined the Girl Scouts and continued through the ranks earning the highest award given from the Girl Scout Program. She even received a trip to California during her Junior year of High School as a representative of the N.W. Chicago Senior Scout Group. This trip gave her the first opportunity to wear a long formal dress at a special dinner there. Marilyn attended summer camp in Three Rivers, MI and later became a camp counselor and a lifeguard at the camp. Unfortunately, the family moved during her Morton to Oak Park High School years, making a difficult change for Marilyn.

Marilyn soon graduated and moved on to North Park Junior College for a semester, quickly changing to Indiana University, Bloomington to study elementary education. During her freshman year she was asked to go on a blind date with a girl’s brother that was living in her dorm. This date turned out to be her future husband, Jim (James E. Young). They had a great time and were always together from that time on. After 5 years of dating, on June 18, 1955, they were married. They both continued together at I.U. to finish their Master’s Degrees.

Marilyn began her teaching career in Indianapolis with 2nd and 3rd graders for 2 years. Jim’s job then took them to Ft. Wayne where they built their first home. Marilyn and Jim welcomed a daughter, Lisa Anne who passed away at birth in 1960. Just a year later, son James T. Young was born.

Jim’s job took the family to the Rochester, New York area. Marilyn became a member of the Newcomers Club in Rochester while raising her son. After a few years, Marilyn began teaching elementary school students for 2 years at an Inner-City Non-Graded program school. Due to medical reasons, Marilyn resigned from teaching and went to work for Sears around 1971, first in the hardware department and then in the credit department in the Eastview Mall store.

The family moved to South Bend, Indiana in 1974, moving into one of Jim’s family homes. Marilyn continued working in the credit department at Sears for another 10 years. Years later, after Jim suffered a stroke, the couple moved into the Sanctuary at St. Paul’s, where each of them lived until they passed away.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; and daughter, Lisa Anne. Marilyn is survived by her son, James T. Young and his wife Sara Hook; her sister, Marjorie Olson; cousins, Carol Vantrease (Ken), and Rev. C.O. “Bud” Grinstead (Sherry) and their family members.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Indianapolis Humane Society at www.indyhumane.org.

Funeral Services will be held for Marilyn on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 1 pm., at the Sanctuary at St. Paul’s, 3602 S. Ironwood Dr., South Bend. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery also in South Bend.