Kelsey Shirley Young — Seoul, South Korea
Kelsey Shirley Young, 29, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, at Hye-Min Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, with her mother and father at her side.
Kelsey was born Nov. 1, 1984, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, and lived in Mantorville, graduating from Kasson-Mantorville High School in 2003. She was active in band, choir, track, and was a soccer player with a feared left foot. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2008, with a degree in philosophy and psychology. Kelsey worked at the Minneapolis office of AmeriCorps helping people in a job training program for a year. In 2009, she accepted a teaching position in Suwon, South Korea. In 2010, she moved to Seoul and worked at the EWAS Academy. In 2013, Kelsey took a position with the Seoul Public Schools and worked there until her death.
Kelsey is survived by her mother, Lori of Kasson; father, Dave (Judy) of Rochester; brother, Bryce, (Kelli) of Eagan; brother, Taylor (Yvonne) of Nuremburg, Germany; step-brother, Rob Gust of Rochester; niece, Evangeline; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.
Kelsey was passionate about teaching primarily four and five-year-olds. She loved her kids and teaching them English. She volunteered at Angel House in Seoul, a group home facility for the disabled of all ages.
Through Angel House, she made many friends, some Korean, but also many others like herself from all over the world who shared her passion for working with people and the adventure of living abroad.
During her time in Korea she took time to travel to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, and Hong Kong along with shorter trips around Seoul and particularly to her favorite beach in Busan. Kelsey was also a big fan of one of Seoul's professional baseball teams, the LG Twins. She loved all things about Korea, the kind and caring people, the food, and life in a big, noisy, busy, bright city.
Celebration of Kelsey's life will be at Czaplewski Family Funeral Home, 501 Second St. N.W. in Hayfield, on Saturday, Nov. 16, from noon until 3 p.m. At 1 p.m., there will be a brief time for reflection and prayer, and for those interested, an opportunity to share something about Kelsey with those gathered.
Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, at 4 p.m.
Blessed be her memory.