Elna Pauline (Kuehner) Young was born Aug. 19, 1935, in Goliad, Texas, to Paul and Elna (Peterson) Kuehner, and passed away Feb. 22, 2026.
She spent her childhood in several Lutheran parishes, including Pender and Walton in Nebraska. She graduated from high school and attended Luther College in Wahoo. On Sept. 1, 1956, Elna married James Lee Young in Diller. They welcomed five children: Mark, Amy, Anne, Matthew and Mollie. Elna and Jim lived in Lincoln until 1965, then moved to Nelson, where Elna excelled in childrearing and homemaking. She transformed a neglected Victorian house into a warm, inviting home.
When she wasn’t wrangling children, wallpapering, sewing, or painting, she made her singular yeasted doughnuts for Jim to sell to the morning regulars at Young’s Pharmacy. In 1979, the family moved to Milford. Elna became custodian and caretaker of the Milford United Methodist Church, a role she devoted herself to for 25 years. After retiring, she continued working by cleaning the office of Laminated Wood Systems in Seward.
A lifelong learner, Elna embraced creativity and movement. She took classes in piano, dance, aerobics, knitting, sewing, swimming, music theory, and drawing. She excelled at violin, playing an instrument Jim handcrafted for her. In 2016, the Lincoln Civic Orchestra established The Elna Young Award for Excellence and Commitment in her honor.
Elna loved games and playing darts, ping-pong, washers, and energetic water fights, keeping a water gun on hand “just in case.” She cherished her gardens, her annual battle with bindweed, and the satisfaction of a beautifully stacked woodpile. In later years, she treasured quiet time by the fireplace and the companionship of her dog, Winnie.
Elna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim; her brother-in-law, Mark Lindberg; and her son-in-law, David Dovel.
She is survived by her five children; 15 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, and the “honorary Youngs,” the Anne and Boyd Anderson family.
The funeral service is Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. at the West Blue Church, rural Milford. The service will be livestreamed. Please go to the Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services Facebook site ten minutes prior to the service to tune in. You may need to follow our Facebook page to be able to view the livestream. Interment: 3:15 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at the Blue Mound Cemetery, Milford. There is no visitation. Memorials are designated to the Bee States Ballroom Renovation Fund or the Lincoln Civic Orchestra.
Arrangements by Lauber Funeral and Cremation Services in Milford.
