Three generations of Youmans Family were engaged in farming in New Scotland, NY. However, farming in the Youmans family goes back many generations within America, beginning with Christopher Youmans and his wife Hannah who arrived in present-day Connecticut in 1659. Records from the Town of Hempstead on Long Island, NY where he had lived for many years before moving to Rye NY document his "keeping of cows" and ownership of a farm. The lineage from Christopher to A.C. Youmans includes: Solomon, Samuel, Anthony, Sr., Anthony, Jr., Levi, and James Thorne Youmans.
1st Generation at Youmans Farms
Reverend Adelbert Clarence Youmans (addressed as A. C. Youmans) was born on February 18, 1868 to Rev. James Thorne Youmans and his wife Catherine Dolly Layman. Rev. A. C. Youmans married Della Imogene Branday on December 30, 1890. Della was born in 1870. They had 8 children: Marcus, James, Ruth, Madeline, Martha, Margurette, Clarence, and Lester. Della died in 1943 and A.C. Youmans died in 1951.
2nd Generation at Youmans Farms
Lester Howard Youmans, Sr. was born on April 26, 1898 to Rev. A. C. and Della Youmans. He married Ethel Winifred Cozine on April 29, 1918. Ethel was born December 16, 1895. They had four children: Lester Howard, Jr., Samuel Adelbert, Donald Winifred, and James Thorne. Lester and Ethel are pictured with either Samuel or Lester in the center picture below. Lester and his four sons are shown in the banner photo above. Ethel died on April 19, 1934.
After his first wife Ethel passed away, Lester, Sr. remarried Margaret C. Marrow in 1936. A couple of years after Lester, Sr. passed away in 1952 (one year after his father), Margaret sold the farm.
Note: Other than Clarence Youmans, who came to work at the farm periodically, and a brief stint with Marcus Youmans doing promotional work to increase the number of dairy customers, none of Lester's siblings were known to live or work at the farm.
3rd Generation at Youmans Farms
Lester Howard Youmans, Jr. was born October 22, 1919 to Lester H. and Ethel W. Youmans. He married Pauline Myers on August 10, 1946. Pauline was born on March 30, 1921. They lived in Indiana and had four children: Barbara Jean, Nancy Ellen, Rosemary Carol, and Richard Dale. Lester, Jr. passed away on February 13, 1975. Pauline passed away on January 25, 2012.
Samuel Adelbert Youmans was born on July 8, 1921 to Lester H. and Ethel W. Youmans. He married Kathryn Elizabeth (Kay) Sofield on April 10, 1943. Kay was born on February 11, 1921. They had four children: Donna Ann, David Alan, James Samuel, and Timothy Andrew. Kay passed away on July 24, 2001. Sam passed away on May 9, 2022, just two months shy of 101 years of age.
Donald Winifred Youmans was born on July 7, 1924 to Lester H. and Ethel W. Youmans. He married Harriet King on Jan 22, 1949. Harriet was born on October 10, 1927. They moved to California and had two children: Jeffrey Lynn, and Sallie Marie. Don passed away on Nov 1, 2008. Harriet passed away on April 5, 2013.
James Thorne Youmans was born in 1930 to Lester H. and Ethel W. Youmans. James 'Little Jimmy' died in 1933 as the result of a farm vehicle accident.
Rev. A.C. Youmans and wife Della with first son Marcus and infant James.
Young Sam Youmans in early 1920's with children of farmworkers in sandpile behind main farmhouse
Sam, Don, and Les, Jr. posed at photgraphy studio.
Lester Youmans, Sr. and wife Ethel with either Les, Jr. or Samuel.
From left: Sam, Les, Jr., Don with their father Lester, Sr.
Lester H. Youmans, Sr.
Lester Youmans, Jr. and brother Sam Youmans are pictured in front of a 1936 Chevrolet truck with their Aunt Gladys (Cozine) Story
Ethel Youmans with children in the back yard of the main farmhouse
Les, Jr. (front) and Sam (rear) on a pony at
the New Scotland Schoolhouse
(now the New Scotland Town Hall).