Our Family Story
Every family has a beginning, a heartbeat, and moments where ordinary people step into extraordinary purposes. For the Aiken and Young families, that story stretches back into the red soil of Hampton County, South Carolina.
Our maternal grandparents were James (Jim) Aiken and Margaret (Martha Frasure) Aiken, born just after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865 - Jim in 1867 and Martha in 1873. Despite the challenges they faced, Jim and Martha forged their own path with resilience and hope. They cultivated a family rooted in love and perseverance, passing down values that continue to shape our lives today.
Jim and Martha Aiken had sixteen known children born to their union: Evans, Lillie, Phoebe, James, Pelman, Elizabeth, Willie, Martha, Jeanette, Lucius, Margaret, Samuel, Julius, Ephraim, Amanda, and Matthew. It was through regular informal gatherings from which the tradition of Aiken family reunions began. These reunions became a cherished custom that kept relatives tightly connected, serving as a reminder of the enduring strength and unity within the Aiken family.
Among these siblings, Amanda was the youngest Aiken daughter. She gave birth to three children – one daughter Willie Mae (Roberts) Young, and two sons, Ernest and Roosevelt. Willie Mae lovingly known as Mae, Mama, and eventually Emo, became the matriarch and heartbeat in the next era of our family.
From Estill, S.C. to Harlem: The Journey of Willie Mae
Willie Mae Roberts (Emo) was born July 22, 1929, in Estill, South Carolina. As a teenager, she moved to Paterson, New Jersey where she spent time with half siblings on her father’s side. With her mother’s brother (Uncle Lucius) taking on the role of guardian, Emo soon relocated to Harlem residing with other Aiken relatives.
Enter Eddie Young: A Man of Strength, Quiet Leadership, and Deep Roots
Before Emo arrived in New York, another story had already begun — Eddie (Edgar) Young, Sr., was born September 15,1907, in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Eddie Sr. was the oldest of seven siblings (Catherine, Henry, David, Georgian, Sallie, and Willie) born to his mother Josephine (Queenie) Young Legree. He was raised in early childhood by his grandparents, Julia and Joshua Young with nearby Young and Legree family roots throughout Hampton, Ridgeland, and Wagon Branch areas.
Eddie senior’s childhood was marked by hardship that required responsibility and independence at an early age. At age thirteen, he set out alone walking countless miles for a better life. Eventually he travelled through Savannah, Columbia, Philadelphia, and finally New York City where he connected with family and contacts from his early childhood years. Though Eddie Sr. had little formal education, he worked hard and built a life through determination and self-taught skills. Prior to moving North, Eddie Sr. fathered two daughters (Viola /Sandy) and Tisha with whom he maintained contact throughout the years.
Upon his move to Harlem, New York, Eddie Sr. first connected with his sister, Georgian (Legree) Cuyler and brother-in-law, Lonzer Cuyler, as well as other relatives that tied the Young and Aiken families together. Eddie Young Sr. was introduced to Willie Mae Roberts, by her Uncle Lucius with whom he worked. Lucius Aiken admired Eddie Sr. character as a man of integrity, and he strongly encouraged their union despite their age difference.
Their union was not an accident — it was alignment. It was ancestry at work.
The Young Household: A New Foundation, A New Legacy
During Eddie Sr. and Emo’s 35 years of marriage, they raised eight children. The six oldest, Eddie Jr., Michael (James), Dolores (Athaliah), Segun (Marvin), Cynthia (Elishebah), and Anthony (Aharon) were born in Harlem. During these early years, the Cuyler and Young families grew up as one big family and even shared an apartment for several years. In 1955, the Young family was accepted for an apartment in the Howard Projects in Brooklyn, NY, where Randy, and Shoshana (Loretta) were born.
Over time, Eddie Sr. and Emo introduced their eight children to their sisters, Viola and Tisha. This set into motion a tradition of nurturing their ten children into a unified family. The bonds formed among the siblings encouraged them to look after one another, celebrate milestones, and support each other while maintaining the values of previous Aiken, Legree, and, Young relatives.
Eddie Sr. was the ultimate “Jack-of-all-Trades”; he always took on and met the challenge to repair or build something himself before paying someone to do it. Some projects included reupholstering sofas, chairs and repairing household appliances. When his favorite radio’s outer frame busted, he built a new wooden case. One of his biggest challenges was when he rebuilt the engine in his car. Eddie senior’s favorite motto to his children was “Keep a good name, because your reputation will arrive at a place before you do.” He encouraged his sons to earn money by making them shoeshine boxes. After his retirement from construction work, he successfully ran a family-owned houseware store.
When Eddie Sr. became ill his children were blessed to help manage his care. During the last days of his life, he charged all his children to always stick together and look after each other. Eddie Young Sr. made his transition on October 23, 1982, surrounded by his family. In later years, Emo relocated to Columbia, SC and eventually to Huntersville, NC to be closer to several of her children who had left the NY area.
Emo was not only the glue to her family, but her role as a peacemaker went beyond her own children to include extended family, friends, and neighbors. She was known for instilling strong family values and always standing up for what was right. Emo had zero tolerance for fighting among her children or between her grandchildren. Her unique gift was her ability to make all her children and grandchildren feel special.
Like her mother Amanda, Emo’s cooking was legendary and a true labor of love. Emo had the pleasure of teaching her granddaughters how to bake her famous cakes and pies. She was ensuring that these cherished family recipes would be passed down for generations to come.
Emo passed away on November 8, 2014, after a four-month illness, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. True to her teachings, they came together to manage her care, supporting one another just as she and Eddie Sr. had always encouraged. Her legacy of love and unity lived on in those final months, as family members rallied around her and each other, embodying the very values she cherished most.
Eddie Sr. and Emo complimented each other perfectly. Their parental examples helped to raise a close-knit family that would eventually spread across two continents but never lose its center. Even as their descendants-built lives far from home, the threads of family remain unbroken.
A Legacy That Lives On
Today, the lives of Eddie Sr. and Willie Mae Young that began with two souls — shaped by history, faith, and family — has blossomed into an extraordinary living legacy of five generations numbering over 200 descendants and counting.
What began in the fields and backwoods of Hampton County now spans cities, states, and continents. What started with sharecroppers, caretakers, and builders grew into educators, leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, healers, thinkers and more.
This is our story.
This is our inheritance.
This is the Young Family legacy.
So whenever and wherever we gather for our reunions, we honor the people who stood before us — and the ones who will come after. We challenge each of you to find your place and your role in contributing to and continuing the Young Family traditions with gratitude, pride, unity, and a strong commitment to keep our Young Family legacy alive.
Get in Touch
youngfamilyreunion24
@gmail.com
