Terry Youlton was born on June 6th, 1936 to Robert Youlton and Eva King. He spent a good deal of his youth helping his Grandfather King on their mixed farm operation between Clachan and Wardsville, often riding his bike 7 miles on weekends from his home in Bothwell to the farm. His love of his grandfather and farming influenced him to attend the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph where he met his wife, the former Mary MacDougall. They were married in 1956 and had four children – Rick (Joanne), Kathy (Don Rae), Douglas (deceased), and Peggy (deceased). Terry and Mary have 12 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.
Terry was very involved with the Ridgetown community. He has been an active member of the local Rotary Club since 1962, serving as Rotary District Governor in 1997/98 in the Kent County and Michigan State regions, and has led various humanitarian projects in Pakistan, India, the Ukraine, China, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. He has received numerous awards, including the "Service Above Self" award, for his many years of Rotary work.
Terry is also involved with the Anglican Church in Ridgetown and in 2009, he was honoured with the Bishop Award for Excellence in Ministry for the Diocese of Huron. He and Mary also served as a National Team couple for the Canadian Anglican Marriage Encounter. His love of music resulted in his being a founding member of the Ridge Players theatrical group, where he both sang and acted for many years, as well as serving on the Board. He was also a trustee on the Ridgetown Public School Board.
Following the death of their son Douglas, Terry and Mary helped form the Bereaved Parents Group, and in 1999, Terry was named "Person of the Year" in Ridgetown.
According to his wife, "Terry always wanted to be a farmer. This job allowed him to farm thousands of acres in a different way. He loved his job and looked forward to going to work every day. He worked alongside of his men, and led by example."
Al DeWitte, Maurice Neutens and Terry Youlton combined to form a partnership and a Company that helped advance agriculture in Kent County. They became experts in crop production, and they provided innovative, quality services to the farmers they served. And like the farmers they worked with, they owned their businesses, were committed to the communities they worked and lived in, they loved their work, and were honest, hard-working people. These three men contributed to agriculture in Kent County with their entrepreneurial spirits, their work ethic, and their dedication to helping farmers succeed. They also excelled in serving their community in many ways.