| Location | London |
| Age | 72 years |
| Cause of Death | Natural Causes |
| Date of Birth | 04/07/1936 |
| Date of Death | 29/01/2009 |
| Visitors | 289 since 25/04/2009 |
| Creator |
Olivia Young was the youngest daughter of Timothy and Ethel Cunningham. She was born in the district of Middle Buxton in the parish of St. Ann on 4th July 1936.
A very beautiful girl, of slim build, Olivia was always a pleasant and happy child. She attended the Lower Buxton All Age School for a short time during her childhood before going to live with her elder sister in Clay Ground and there she attended the Bamboo All Age School.
Olivia, grew up alongside two nieces and two nephews, Olivia and the eldest nephew were like brother and sister having only four years difference in age from each other.
Olivia was a hard working girl; along with her household chores, she learnt to sew and was active in her church duties helping others in the community in which she lived. All the children, including Olivia, attended two Sunday Schools on Sundays; morning and evening, as was the Baptist tradition.
At the age of about eighteen years, she left Clay Ground and her sister's home to seek employment in Brown's Town. From there she went to work in Kingston.
Like most carribean people at that time, the chance to provide a better life for their families lay across the water in England so it was in 1961 that Olivia left Jamaica to seek employment and this chance in the United Kingdom.
She joined her nephew and soon after she arrived in the United Kingdom, she met a handsome young man, Dudley Young, who proposed to her and after a short courtship the two were married. The union produced three children.
Olivia Young was diagnosed with a terminal illness in September 2008. During the course of her illness she was admitted to hospital on several occasions, however, her condition deteriorated and sadly, she died on 29th January 2009.
May her soul rest in peace.
A Tribute to Merle
I have known Merle for fifty years; we met as young Christians and attended the Pilgrim Holiness Church Constant Spring, now called Wesleyan Church. We had good times together and enjoyed singing. A few weeks before she left for England we spent the day together and had such "Spiritual Fun" at the church convention. She had a lovely head of hair and it was a standing joke that we recognised her from a long way off because of her "big hair".
A few weeks later, some of us her friends bade her "Bon Voyage" on her way to England, I followed a month later and the others as soon as they could. She very soon found the Sussex Road Church in Brixton. I vividly recall her first letter to me was one of mixed feelings as she explained her first impressions of England and the TV programme she watched depicting the Crucifix, it was Easter time. A short while later she left her sister's home to share my room in Peckham.
Although geographically separated and our lives took different directions we kept in touch by telephone or letters. I was happy to her that her husband was a Christian, she was my chief bridesmaid.
Merle had a wry smile with a twinkle in her eyes but, she was an extremely religious person and could be quite serious too.
She was a good role model and her legacy will long be remembered. RIP.
Ludy Lynch
February 2009
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