Local writer’s lifelong dream comes true

The desire to write children’s books was a dream for (Holly) Joy LaFrance Youngs ever since she was a child herself, but it was not until long after her retirement as a secretary to the principal in the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) in 2007 that Youngs began to pursue that dream.

“It was always in the back of my mind to write children’s books,” Youngs said. “But life got in the way. Marriage, jobs and children filled my life, but this was always on my bucket list.”

Finally, in 2015, with encouragement from her family, Youngs began her writing journey and is today the author of six delightful books that are primarily based on inspiration from her father.

Youngs was raised on a 143-acre farm on Route 34B in Groton and attended Groton schools, but for some reason still unknown to her, Youngs’ parents, Dick and Bettie Lou LaFrance, insisted she attend her senior year and graduate from the Cascadilla Prep School on Cornell University’s campus.

“I started out after that attending the University of Akron and then TC3 for secretarial science,” Youngs said. “I got my job at ICSD right out of college and worked there for 37 years. I loved working around the kids.”

In the midst of all that, Joy went on a blind date and met Fred Youngs. It was “love at first sight,” and they were married eight months later in 1971.

Fred was an Air Force weapons specialist who worked at Ithaca Gun after his tour of duty, followed by 30 years at Emerson Electric as an electrician.

During the decadeslong tenure at their respective jobs, Joy and Fred also raised their children, Matt and Mandi, in Groton and now enjoy their retirement life and three grandchildren.

Once she started, it took Joy about four months to write her first book, “Stories on the Front Steps,” which was based on the tremendous impact her father had on her.

“My father told stories to me and my siblings, Rick, Bonnie and Matt, on our front steps on summer evenings,” Joy said. “And they were always funny stories and funny characters and usually always contained a lesson to be learned.”

Joy was inspired by the quality of her dad’s stories, but the real inspiration came from the fact that they were all created in his mind; he could not read them out of a book because he was blind.

Dick was not always blind. He graduated from Ithaca High School in 1937 as the president of his class and the captain of the football team. He then attended the College of William and Mary, Tennessee Wesleyan University and University of Memphis, playing football throughout his college years.

During college, Dick was also in the ROTC and went into the U.S. Army as a lieutenant and tank commander at the beginning of WWII.

In April of 1945, with the war almost over, Dick stuck his head out of a tank one day and was shot in the head.

“It severed his optic nerve,” Joy said. “He completely lost his eyesight, but he always had a positive attitude about everything. He would always say, ‘I am the lucky one,’ and I never understood that as a child.”

His blindness did not keep Dick from being productive by any stretch. Frank Kavanaugh, the head athletic trainer at Cornell at the time, took Dick under his wing and made him an athletic trainer. Dick worked every sport there was for 34 years, while also helping Bettie Lou run the crop farm, as well as doing his own fair share of helping around the house.

“He was such an inspiration to me,” Joy said. “He had a great relationship with me and each of my siblings, even though we were all different kids, plus helped us with homework, made our breakfast every morning and washed the dishes every night.”

Joy said that Dick walked around with a transistor radio quite often so he could listen and learn things. He had to rely on his memory because he couldn’t read.

“I loved our time doing the dishes together at night because even then, he would be telling me stories and teaching me things like memorizing all the state capitals,” Joy said. “He was a sheer joy to be around and had lots of friends.”

With all of her memories and inspiration to help her write that first book, Joy wrote the next five based on it: “Clumpy Goes to Kindergarten Too!!!”, “A Wish for Uncle Tomatoes and Pop Pop Potatoes,” “A Mystery at Thanksgiving,” “The Pink Nana” and “The Dream-Kidz Club.”

“My dad is in every book,” Joy said. “And Clumpy is in almost all of them. Clumpy was our family dog and was the first of many dogs that belonged to Dad, but he never wanted a seeing-eye dog.”

Joy creates all of the characters in her books, but all are inspired by her dad. Many are based on actual people in her life. Pop Pop Potatoes is actually Fred, and the kids in “The Dream-Kidz Club” are based on the kids in their neighborhood, who she said are very nice children with good hearts.

“Dad passed in 1992,” Joy said. “But I think of him every single day and think how lucky I was to have him as a father. In my own way, I now know what he meant by ‘I am the lucky one.’”

Will book number seven be forthcoming? That remains to be seen, but in the meantime, all six of Joy’s books may be purchased at Brittany Station in Groton or on amazon.com.

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Pre-Kindergarten registration

Groton Elementary School is preparing for incoming students for pre-kindergarten this fall. Eligibility requires that your child reside in the Groton Central School District, and New York state immunization requirements for the program must be met.

If your child’s birthday falls between Dec. 2, 2018, and Dec. 1, 2019, they are eligible for the 3-year-old class. Eligibility for the 4-year-old class requires a birthday to fall between Dec. 2, 2017, and Dec. 1, 2018.

Programs will both be held at Groton Elementary School and begin in September. There is no charge. Bus transportation is available for all 4-year-olds, but there is no transportation provided for 3-year-olds.

The 4-year-old program will operate on the same calendar and hours as the rest of the elementary school, as will the 3-year-old program, but there are two half-day sessions: a morning class and an afternoon class.

Selection will be determined by a lottery process. Children who are currently enrolled in the 3-year-old program will have an automatic seat in a 4-year-old classroom. The 4-year-old program has 54 seats, while the 3-year-old classes have 12 each in the morning and afternoon classes. To obtain a registration packet, please contact the school office at (607) 898-5853.

Pavilion rentals

Summer will be here before you know it! The village of Groton offers the Memorial Park Pavilion and the C.R Pavilion for rent. Call the Village Office at (607) 898-3966 to reserve one for your special event. You will need to sign an agreement and pay required fees and/or deposit for use.

Offerings at J’s Arrays

Upcoming vendor offerings at J’s Arrays, 211 Main St., on April 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature Basil Boutique, Color Street, Epicure, Handmade Crafts and Thirty-One.

To reserve a space or ask questions, contact Janette at JsArrays211@gmail.com.