Ann was born in the Mississippi River town of La Crosse, Wisconsin, the daughter of Dr. Eilef Aslakson Smedal, M.D. and his wife, Etta Hendrickson Smedal. Ann always spoke fondly of her native Wisconsin, calling it Gods Country. Ann was also extremely proud of her Norwegian heritage. Her father, a native of Norway, set foot on Ellis Island exactly 11 years before she was born. Anns happy childhood took a tragic turn in July 1937, when her older brother, Harold, died of pneumonia. Six months later, in January 1938, her father died of tuberculosis. And less than one month later, her mother succumbed to what Ann would later describe as a broken-heart. Ann spent the remainder of her youth living with her aunt, Hilma Hendrickson. After graduating from La Crosse Central High School in 1943, Ann attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She graduated Cum Laude in 1947 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. While there, she met the love of her life, Keith Preston Young, who was pursuing his doctoral degree in geology. Ann and Keith were married in Madison on June 4, 1949. After a honeymoon trip to Keiths native Wyoming, they moved to Texas, where Keith would teach geology at the University of Texas at Austin for the next 40 years. Ann and Keith raised three sons and Ann was a great stay-at-home mother. The family enjoyed many memorable summer vacations, and Ann and Keith enjoyed traveling together to Norway and Europe. Ann enjoyed doing volunteer work for many years for the UT chapter of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority. Ann was a member of First English Lutheran Church for over 40 years. Ann was preceded in death by Keith, her husband of 55-years. She was also preceded in death by her second brother, Sigmund Smedal. She is survived by her three sons: Keith M. Young and wife Connie of Austin, Steven E. Young and wife Eleanor of Dallas, and Robert A. Young and wife Diana of Harlingen. She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Matthew and Emily Young of Dallas, Julia and Robert Young of Harlingen, Marisa Ponce of Austin, and Cory and Meghan Nichols of Austin. Ann has joined her beloved Keith in the great hereafter. Her sons mourn her passing and know that they were truly blessed with two wonderful parents. A memorial service for Ann will be held on Monday, June 12th at 2:00 p.m. at First English Lutheran Church at 30th and Whitis in Austin with Pastor Robert J. Karli officiating. Graveside services will be held in July at Willow Grove Cemetery in Buffalo, Wyoming. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ann and Keith Young Endowment Fund at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, or the charity of your choice. The Young family would like to thank doctors, nurses and caregivers on 4-North at Seton Medical Center, staff at Hospice Austin, and Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com
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