Taylor Triangle Announcements

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31 July 2011 - Marie Jeffries informed me earlier this month, but I have been unable to post until now. I was sad to learn of the death of our cousin Truman Bowers. Truman died July 2 in South Carolina. He resided in Leesville, SC, Truman S. Bowers was born July 2, 1924, the son of the late Albert O. and Ethel Taylor Bowers. He served in the Marines during World War II, serving in Guam and Iwo Jima. He graduated from Clemson College in 1947 and worked in dairying. He is survived by his wife, Florence Bowers, and children, Albert Bowers and Marie (Davis) Jefferies. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Hannah Jefferies and Clara (Wes) Slice, two great-grandchildren, Makenna and Landon Slice. He was predeceased by sisters, Amorette Bowers, Lera Holstein, and Gladys Fulmer. His heritage: Ann-Jefferson-George Rufus-Ethel-Truman.

9 Apr 2011 - I was sad to hear from Beau White that his mother and our cousin Barbara Byrd had passed in Miami, Florida on April 3, after a series of illnesses. She was born Barbara Lee Byrd in 1938 in Bayshore, NY, to Rattie and Susan Lee Byrd. She was later married to John Thomas and William White. She was the Granddaughter of Rosa and Wade Byrd. I had known Rosa as a child and My father had stayed with Rosa during his travels in the 1920s. There was always a tight personal bond with the family. Barbara had worked much of her career with the Miami Dade Police Department and was retired. I had recently been assisting her with her family research. Photo is of her holding her favorite pet with her mother in the background. Her heritage: Robert-James-Rosa-Rattie-Barbara

2 Apr 11 - Delayed Announcement - I am delighted to announce belatedly the birth of a new cousin. Brooke Taylor Stoudemire was born September 10, 2010 in South Carolina. She is the daughter of Nicole and Chris Stoudemire of Prosperity, SC. Proud grandparents are Tim and Betty Connelly, also of Prosperity. She weighed 7lbs 4ozs and was 19" long at birth, but in the photo she is quite a bit larger due to the delay. Tim explains the delay: "We are behind for a very good reason! We have been enjoying our 1st grand baby!" That seems logical. Her heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Noah Elijah-Artie-Mertie-Tim-Nicole-Brooke.

30 January 2011 - One more for the Triangle - I'm very happy to announce the birth of the latest of the Taylor clan. Ashley Lynn Davis was born January 29, 2011 at 9:19 AM in Orlando, FL. She was premature at 30 weeks and weighed only 2 lb 13 oz. She is doing fine, but will be in the neonatal ward about six weeks. The extremely proud parents are Keith and Stacy Davis of Orlando, their first child. Grandparents are Tommie Davis who died in 2007 and Nell Davis. We share in their joy and trust they will share a photo when she is out of the incubator. Her heritage: Noah-Rufus-Serena-Thomas-Tommy-Keith-Ashley

22 January 2011 - Newest Taylor - I I'm pleased to belatedly announce the birth of Elijah Santino Maroni. He is the son of Andy and Candice Maroni of Fletcher, North Carolina. The proud grandparents are Harry and Carol Maroni of Ashville, North Carolina. We share in their joy on this ocasion. I have been pretty busy, and have been negligent in getting this posted. I extend my apologies. Shown in the photo are Elijah, sister Kaitlynn, and father Andy. His heritage: Isabella-Simon-John-Layton-Carol-Andy-Elijah.

4 Oct 2010 - Robert Taylor sent me an obituary for our cousin Floyd Lee Taylor, who passed away September 27, 2010, in Sebring, FL. Floyd was born September 17, 1925, in Sebring, to Ollie Lee Taylor and Katie Rivers Taylor. He was born, raised, lived and passed in Sebring. He is survived by his wife of 57 years of marriage, Christine Taylor, children, siblings, and grandchildren. He was a graduate of Sebring High School and a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific. He then attended Florida Southern College and the University of Florida, earning his Masters Degree in Accounting. He worked a short time in a large accounting firm in Atlanta, Ga., before returning to Sebring for the family citrus business and then as general manager of Sebring Packing Co., where he worked for 36 years before retiring. During his life he was a member of many organizations, including the Sebring Fireman' s Association; Highlands County Fair Association; Sebring Golf Association; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Elks; Jaycees; and Coach of the Lions Little League Baseball team. Floyd loved fishing, hunting and golf. He loved his family, relatives and friends and would do anything to help them out. Floyd will be greatly missed by them and so many in the community. His heritage: James-Otis-Ollie-Floyd.

25 Aug 2019 - Im sad to report that our cousin, Fawn Lovlace died in the early hours this morning at her home near Dyersburg, TN, after a long illness. She was very ill but attended the Taylor reunion two months ago. She was born Jewell Fawn Taylor on April 20, 1927 to Maurice Taylor and Dorothy Hill Taylor. It is said she was named after a role of Rising Fawn that her mother played in a local production of a play. She was a Farmer, a member of Miller's Chapel Church of Christ for over 65 years; she was a homemaker, birdwatcher, a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was married to Francis Elmo Gore Junior and had two children: Barry Maurice Gore and Johnny Elmo Gore. Francis was killed in a plane crash; and Fawn later married Clayton O. Lovlace, who preceded her in death in 1986. She had a son Clayton O. Lovlace Junior in 1954. Her heritage: Israel-Austin-Fred-Maurice-Fawn.

19 July 2010 - I'm Honored - Late last week I recieved a package. In it was a beautiful freestanding crystal plaque in appreciation of the work I had done on the Taylor Triangle over the years. Sylvia Reeves had it made up as recognition for the site, research, reunions, etc. I was totally surprised and a little taken aback but this unexpected honor. I really appreciate the thought and the plaque is striking. The photo (click on the minature on the left) does not do it justice. I had a hard time photographing without me or the camera showing up in the reflection. The sky and clouds are not part of the plaque. They are just reflected, since I took the photo on the roof. Thanks much to Sylvia [Israel-Austin-Fred-Sylvia]

11 July 2010 - Updates - I have updated the descendancy charts based on the input from the reunion. I've also added additonal photos to Ann's album, thanks to Carolyn Kibler.

30 June 2010 - What a Reunion! - The reunion was a resounding success with the greatest attendance ever and a lot of fun. I've added the After the Reunion web page and changed the link on the Hot Links at the right to point to that page instead of the one for before the reunion.

23 May 2010 - Made error in Holiday Inn phone number in Dyersburg. I transposed the last two numbers. Cousin Dawn Kunatz pointe this out, thankfully. I corrected the Web page for Dyer 2010 and corrected the attached handouts. Unfortunately, the error was made at first and copied to all of the mailouts, etc.

28 April 2010 - I learned from Keith Davis that his father Tommy Hugh Davis of Newberry, Florida had died earlier. Tommy died October 18, 2007 after a prolonged illness. He was born in Baldwin, FL on March 26, 1935 to Thomas Shepherd Davis and Serena Taylor Davis . He served his country in the Marines and the Army during the Korean War. He was a longtime insurance agent, owner of Tommy's Exxon and Towing and Tommy's Texaco. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nell Oliver Davis, sons, Hugh Davis and his wife Jennifer of Gainesville, FL, Keith Davis and his wife Stacey of Orlando, two grandchildren, Tommy Ronald Davis and Dominica Rose "Minca" Davis and his adopted in his heart son, Curtis Haney. His heritage: Noah-Rufus-Serena-Thomas-Tommy

28 March 2010 - Mailouts, etc. Available - The Second Mailout, Tour Handout, and Flyer have been added to the Dyer 2010 Reunion page. The Second Handout includes an information sheet for out-of-towners. The mailout and flyer will be sent out next week after going to Fedex Office for reproduction and envelope stuffing.

13 Feb 2010 - Great Find! - Robert Taylor came across a great find and shared it with me. It is the newspaper clipping from the first Columbia County Taylor reunion in 1951. I definitely had to post it,but it belonged on a page I hadn't created yet. I built a new page Columbia Reunions Before 1995 and placed the clipping in it. Take a look. Thanks Robert! On 21 Feb added clipping from fourth reunion supplied by him.

23 Jan 2010 - It was sad to learn from her grandmother that one of our young cousins Danielle Myer, 21 of Renick, Missouri had died on December 2 after a battle with cancer. She was born Natasha Danielle Widdison on January 3, 1988 in Lithia Springs, GA, a daughter of Jodie and Judy (Hicks) Widdison. She graduated from Northeast R-4 High School in Cairo in 2006 and was a shift manager at McDonalds in Moberly. Danielle married Alex Meyer on January 5, 2008 in Cairo and he survives. Also surviving are her father, Jodie Widdison of Clark; mother, Judy Carter of Columbia; brothers, Kyle Widdison of Clark and Taylor and Luke Widdison, both of Columbia; sister, Sierra Widdison of Clark; grandmothers, Toy Hicks of Moberly, Arlene Chandler of Heber, UT; father and mother-in-law, Dean and Brenda Meyer of Salisbury; brothers and sisters-in-law, Nate and Liz Meyer and Jeremy and Jen Meyer; other relatives and friends. Her heritage: Israel-Austin-Fred-Maurice-Toy-Judy-Danielle

17 Jan 2010 - To the Rescue - I was really getting bogged down in trying to update the Web site and get it easy to maintain. My niece Donna Darling has come to the rescue, helping me to work through all of the photos. Way to go Donna! It's a great help.

3 Jan 2010 - I was sad to hear from her daughter that Virginia Smith died last August 20. Virginia was strongly interested in the family history and provided me with some extremely important documents, including the letter to Israel's wife concerning his death and the Jacob Hawkins letters. She was also a sweet dear person. Photo is of a research get together (abt 1996) with Harry and Demetra Hay and their daughter Susan Perry (Virginia is on right). Pat Blalock, my wife and I are out of the frame. Born Virginia Prichard on September 23, 1931, she married James Ward Smith in March of 1954. Virginia was a member of Zion Hill Baptist Church where she served as treasurer for 33 years, was a Sunday School teacher and choir director and an active member of the WMU. She received her Master's Degree from the University of Tennessee and was a member of the Alumni Association. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Iva Marie Smith. She is survived by her husband, James W. Smith of Friendship; two daughters, Harriet Cannon (Lenard) of Covington and Valerie Hutchison (Terry) of Alamo; two sons, James Ellis Smith (Cindy) and Tommy Smith (Karen) of Friendship and six grandchildren. Her heritage: Isabella-Harriet-James-sp. of James.

2 Jan 2010 - New Look and Feel for Home Page! - In 2002 I created the Web site. The home page has looked the same since then. With the reunion coming on, I am getting the Web site up-to-date. While I am doing it, I want to make it more effective and useful. This redesigned home page is part of that.

26 Dec 2009 - James Taylor Bible Added - Thanks to the generous help of Robert Taylor, James' descendant, we now have a copy of James' family bible on James' page. Check it out. Now it is available to everyone.

16 Dec 2009 - Reunion is ON! Due to great encouragement from my cousins, we will have a reunion in Dyersburg, Tennessee on June 19, 2010. Mark your calendars with this. I have put together a Dyer 2010 Web page with the details. This will be updated regularly. Check back for the latest.

29 Nov 2009 - New member of Taylor Clan! - In checking old voicemails on Ginny's mobile, I discovered a message about the birth of Philip Joel Glover. The proud grandfather had called and left a voicemail on November 2, but we did not discover it until today. Philip is the son of Katherine (Katy) and Philip Glover. Grandparents are Mike and Terri Millikin of Lake City, FL. Great-grandmother was Erma Millikin who was our first connection to the Florida Taylors. We share the joy of the Glovers and the Millikins. Philip's heritage: Noah-Erma-Mike-Katy

22 Nov 2009 - I sad to learn today from Bobby and Shirley Adams of the death of our cousin Guy Taylor Nichols on November 20, 2009. He was born November 25,1913 to Bennie Calhoun Nichols and Nina Black Nichols. A graduate of Stoney Hill High School in Prosperity, SC, Guy devoted his work-life to farming. He was a partner in the Nichols and Longshore dairy for 29 years, past president and member of Mid-Carolina Electric Co-Op for 27 years. He was an organizer and charter member of the Hollywood Ruritan, a life member of the Farm Bureau, and an active member of Corinth Lutheran Church. In his retirement years, he was fondly remembered for his woodworking skills, producing hundreds of benches and thousands one-note whistles, all of which he gave to family and friends. He handed the whistles out at the last reunion. Surviving are his children: Charles Lowell Nichols and his wife, Judy Easler Nichols, Saluda, SC, Lorela Nichols Wilkins and her husband, Joe H. Wilkins, Jr., Stone Mountain, GA, Arthur Ray Nichols, Mauldin, SC, Sylvia Nichols Rinehart and her husband, Joseph A. Rinehart, Saluda, SC. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. His heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Mary-Bennie

4 October 2009 - I am late in announcing and was sad to learn of the death of our cousin Augusta Hawkins. She died on September 26, 2009. Born Augusta Espy on May 12, 1911, she was married to Laurence Edison Hawkins, who preceded her in death in 1987. A son, Barton Hawkins also preceded her in death around 2000. She was a lifelong resident of the Friendship, Tennessee area and raised her family there. She was buried on September 30 at South Fork Baptist Church at Halls, Tennessee. She leaves behind one grandson Lawrence Hawkins and great-grandson Grayson Hawkins, both of Jackson, Tennessee . She will be missed. Her heritage: Isabella-George-Walter-Spouse of Laurence.

4 March 09 - Reunion Delay - I’m sorry to announce that I won’t be able to hold the reunion in Dyersburg again this year. We have a new contract at work which has resulted in a lot of change. We recently moved, and although it is a short distance, it still has brought a lot of work with it. Those, plus some other things that are grabbing my time, have led me to the painful conclusion that 2010 would be better. I will try diligently to make it happen next year, and I will make my final decision earlier than this to give you more planning time. I really want to make this happen next year. When I wrote last year we were living in DC, awaiting the results of a contract bid in Washington State. To our delight, my company did not win the contract. I was able to stay on permanently with my temporary job at the Library of Congress. We are now DC residents and will probably live here for the foreseeable future. We really like it here. There will be a paper announcement in the mail shortly.

5 Oct 08 - Welcome the newest clan member! - I'm very happy to announce that we have a new member of the Taylor clan. Kaitlynn Amber Maroni was born at 4:26pm on September 1, 2008. She was 7lbs 7oz and 19 inches long at birth. The proud parents are Andy and Candice Maroni. The proud grandparents are Harry and Carol Maroni. According to Carol, she is the most beautiful baby ever. She is beautiful, but grandmother may be biased. Complete photo showing Carol and Kaitlynn is on the Isabella page. Her heritage: Isabella-Simon-John Lawrence-Layton-Carol-Andy-Kaitlynn

3 Sep 08 - We have a winner! - I'm very happy to report that our cousin Mike Millikin has been elected Superintendant of Schools for Columbia County, Florida. As you know, this is one of the three key areas of our family history. Mike came in strongly, winning 52% in a three person race, which included the incumbent, negating the need for a runoff. We're happy for and proud of Mike. Mike's mother Erma Millikin was a very special person who was our key contact when we first linked up with the part of our Clan in Columbia County (Lake City). Mike and his wife Terry have been married for 27 years and have two children Katherine Ann and Mary Elizabeth. More can be read in an article of the Lake City Reporter (click here). Mike's heritage: Noah-Trumie-Erma-Mike

16 Jun 08 - This is very belated, but I delighted to announce the birth of another cousin. Lacey Cypress Jones was born on April 30, 2008 in Florida. She is the daughter of David and Cayala Jones. She was born at 4:32 AM and was 8 lbs - 2 oz and 20 inches long. Proud grandparents are Tommie and Steven Boettcher. She has a 13 year old sister Kayla, who is proud as well. According to her grandmother she is the most beautiful baby she has ever seen. Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Tommie-Verdie-Tommie-David-Lacey.

8 April 08 - I learned this week that a dear cousin Susan Byrd had died on Christmas Eve in 2007 in Miami, Florida. Her daughter sent me an announcement. She was born Susan Whitcroft-Lee to Alfred and Susan Whitcroft-Lee on December 30, 1913 in New York City. She led a very interesting life. She was raised on the Rockefeller estate in upstate New York where she grew up with the children. In 1936 she married R. W. Byrd and moved to Miami Springs, Florida. R. W. was a hard hat diver in the area. She is survived by daughter Barbara Byrd and son Gary Byrd, four grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Her heritage: Robert-James-Rosa-R. W. (spouse)

15 February 2008 - I'm very pleased to make the belated announcement of the birth of our cousin Shelby Blair Jones on September 14, 2007 at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville Florida. The proud parents are Katie and Ian Jones of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Proud grandmother is Kay England of Jacksonville and very proud great-grandfather is Rufus Ward of Lake City, Florida. We're delighted at the parents' good fortune. Since she is five months old now, I decided to use a recent photo for the announcement, rather than the birth photo. I also added photos of her and her mother to Noah's page

5 February 2008 - I'm delighted to make a belated announcement. Shannon Opperman and Tom Bourbon were married in Veazie, Maine, on July 28, 2007. The bride is the daughter of Donna and Vernon Darling of Newburgh, Maine, and Paul Opperman of Ludowici, Georgia. The groom is the son of Frank and Anna Sprague of Veazie, Maine, and Tom and Kathy Bourbon of The Villages, Florida. Shannon is a 2000 graduate of Bangor High School and is employed in the accounting department at Hartt Transportation. Tom is a 1991 graduate of Brewer High School and is self-employed. The couple resides in Bangor. Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Shirley-Donna-Shannon.

2 February 2008 - Mariam Fulton just informed me of the death of Katharine Blair Giordano. I am very sorry to hear. Born Katherine Blair in Newberry, SC, August 15, 1915, she grew up in Columbia, SC. She was a daughter of Efale Buzhardt Blair and William Preston Blair. She was predeceased by her sister, Nancy C. Blair of Columbia and her husband, Joseph John Giordano of New York City and Columbia. A 1936 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Education, she also earned a Master's in Library Science from Columbia University. She spent her professional life in New York City where she first worked on Wall Street, then spent more than twenty years as chief librarian, International Division of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey and completed her professional work with Bear Stearns Brokerage Firm as librarian. Her heritage: George-Nancy-William Preston-Katherine.

31 January 2008 - Reunion Postponed! - I really hate to announce this, but I am going to have to postpone the Dyer County reunion another year. I am making the announcement now so you won't make travel and vacation plans around it. I am still awaiting the announcement of whether my company will win the contract in Washington State. It could come at any time. If we win, I will have to move there in the May timeframe or earlier, and I will be in the middle of starting up a new company and transitioning the contract to the new company. I couldn't possibly have the reunion or even attend under those circumstances. If we were to have the reunion, I would already have to be arranging things. I am sorry about this. I hope in June 2009 my life will be more stable and we will have it then. I will keep you posted.

21 January 2008 - The luck of the Irish! Our Irish ancestry must be showing through. My sister, Shirley Moon, has won a major prize in the lottery. For privacy purposes, I am not going to reveal the amount or any indication of her address. Suffice to say, she is ecstatic and we are happy for her. This will allow her to finally retire from her job at a retail outlet. She was widowed several years ago and has not been able to retire yet. All of us are looking forward to her being able to enjoy herself more. I will forward any congratulatory messages. Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Shirley

22 Dec 2007 - It was sad to find out that Jim Ward died in Lake City, Florida last September 29. He had been battling lung cancer for some time. Jim was a cheerful, jovial person and regularly attended our reunions. He was the brother of Rufus Ward, who has been a supporter of our family history and reunions since we first made contact with the Florida clan. He was born James Leslie Ward on March 31, 1931 in Lake Butler, FL. Parents were Clinton Broward and Verlie Ella Ward. He had four children: Faye Lynn, Leslie Gayle, James Leslie Jr., and Amy Marie. He had lived and worked outside Florida for some time and returned to Florida during retirement. His heritage: Noah-Rubin Rufus-Verlie Ella-James

19 Dec 2007 - Congratulations on Graduation! - I pleased to let you know that my son-in-law Stan Caldwell received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee on December 15. It is particularly admirable that he obtained his degree at the age of 35 while working fulltime and driving 150 miles each way to class. It has been a significant achievement and we want to congratulate him and to share our pride with you. He is pictured her with my daughter Holly on graduation day. Heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Miller-Holly(spouse)

2 Dec 2007 - Updated Descendancy Books - I have updated all of the descendancy books. Hopefully they reflect all of the changes you have given me. Let me know if they don't.

14 Oct 2007 - I just received word from Pam Williams that Demetra Hay has died. Demetra was a very special lady and was my initial contact with the Israel branch of the family. She loved the family and the family history. I got copies of some rare documents from her, including the letter to Israel's widow telling the circumstances of his death.

She was born Demetra Pearl Taylor on September 28, 1915. Her parents were Fred and Tennie Taylor. She was born near Friendship, Tennessee and spent her life there. She was married to Harry Wilson Hay on October 17, 1936. They had four children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded by her husband in death earlier this year. Photos show here in 1960 and she and husband Harry Wilson Hay in 2001. More information later. Her heritage: Israel-Austin-Fred-Demetra. She will be missed

11 Oct 2007 - Newest Member of the Taylor Clan - Preston Thomas Szeezil was born at 7:45 AM Wednesday, October 10, at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center in Bradenton, Florida. He is 6lb 8oz, nineteen and a half inches long with brown hair and brown eyes. He and parents are doing well. The proud parents are Shellie and Walter Szeezil of Tera Ceia, Florida. Proud grandmother is Norma Horton of Bradenton, Florida. We are happy to have a new cousin. Shown in the photo is Preston with sister Lauren (click to see full sized). Photo of entire family is in the photo album on Noah's page. His heritage: Noah-Russell-Russell-Norma-Shellie-Preston.

19 Jun 2007 - An era has passed. Noah Van Dyke Taylor died near his home in Alachua, Florida on Sunday, June 17. He was the last of the siblings and cousins that I first met when establishing contact with the Florida branch of the family. He is probably also the last of the great-grandchildren of William W. Taylor.

Van Dyke, his brothers Orville and Russell and their cousin Erma Millikin were my main connection to the Florida Clan. They introduced me to others in Florida and their families helped arranged the reunions. We had visits in multiple locations in three states. All were dear to me. Van Dyke was a skeptic when we first came as cousins from Tennessee, but he became a huge supporter.

Noah Van Dyke Taylor was born on March 27, 1928 in Florida. He lived most of his life in the Lake City - Alachua area. He was the son of Russell and Atlanta Taylor and the grandson of Noah and Cordelia Taylor. He is survived by his wife Mary Langford Taylor, his daughter Marianne Hall, and granddaughter Christina Hall. His heritage: Noah-Russell-Van Dyke.

19 June 2007 - I was sorry to hear from Robert Taylor that our cousin, Gene Foster of Sebring, FL has died. Gene died June 15, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Lawrence Eugene Foster Jr., was born November 16, 1929 in Sebring, Florida to Lawrence and Minnie Taylor Foster. He was the grandchild of Otis and Belle Taylor. He was a veteran of the Korean conflict, serving with the U.S. Navy, and was a retired building inspector for Highlands County. He was a member of V.F.W. and First Baptist Church. He is survived by his son, Larry Foster and daughter, Alice Gill; father, D.W. Smith all of Sebring; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. His heritage: James-Otis-Minnie-Gene.

8 May 2007 - It is sad to report the passing of my sister-in-law, Peggy Taylor. Peggy died in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, after a long battle with cancer. Peggy was born April 17, 1937, in Dyersburg, Tenn., the daughter of Bob and Thelma (McFarland) Miller. She graduated from Dyersburg High School then went to work as a secretary. In 1960, she moved to Fort Walton Beach and worked as an administrative assistant for 35 years at Fort Walton Beach City Hall until her retirement. Peggy was a member of Fort Walton Beach Church of Christ. She is survived by her daughter, Heather Dostart of Fort Walton Beach; grandson, Justin Dostart of Fort Walton Beach; brother, Jimmy Miller and wife, Norma, of Buford, Ga. Her daughter Heather's heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Gaylon-Heather.

26 March 2007 - I was very sorry to hear this weekend that Harry Wilson Hay had died. Harry died March 18, 2007 after a lengthy illness. Harry was born July 4, 1916 to Everett Ernest and Era Hassell Hay. He married Demetra Taylor on October 17 1936 and together they had four children: Demetra Helen Hay, Harry Wilson Hay Junior, Susan Marie Hay, and Phillip Murray Hay. He lived and raised his family in the Hawkinsville area near Friendship, Tennessee. He worked as a farmer and carpenter and was retired. His wife's heritage: Isreal-Austin-Fred-Demetra.

7 March 2007 - I was especially saddened to learn of the passing of Jere Blalock. He died yesterday after a long illness. His loss is particularly significant since he is the husband of Pat Blalock who was key to the research that led to connecting the three Taylor groups. Without her help none of this would be here. Jere and Pat were close friends to me as well as cousins.

Jere Malone Blalock was born October 19, 1935 in Finley in Dyer County, Tennessee to Paul and Willie Blalock. He married Patricia Anne Taylor on the first of August 1953. They have resided in the Dyersburg area since that time. Jere and Pat had six children, one of which is deceased. He is survived by the children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is at Dyersburg Funeral Home in Dyersburg, TN. The visitation is Thursday, March 8 from 5pm-8pm. Funeral is Friday, March 9, at 1pm at the Funeral home.

Jere was a person who was perpetually cheerful and friendly. He was the sort of person who made you feel good to be around. His wife Pat's heritage: Robert-Thomas-Rob-Pat.

9 Feb 2007 - Reunion Delayed - “Sometimes life comes at you fast”, as the commercial goes. That’s what I have been feeling like the last 2 - 3 months. We have been in a new job, in new living quarters, and adapting to other new issues. We are enjoying DC and having some fun, but we are busy all of the time with no letup. It has swamped me to the point that I have found it necessary to delay the Dyer County reunion until June of 2008. I still haven’t posted the photos from the last reunion. I hope that with the breather I can get caught up on the Web site and other genealogy issues so that we can have the next reunion with a solid and up-to-date Web site. Please keep in touch and keep checking the site. I’m going to miss it this year, but sometimes you have to make choices.

27 Jan 2007 - Timothy Connelly informed me of the sad passing of our cousin Fred Lester, 86, of Newberry, South Carolina, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007. Fred was born Nov. 27, 1920, in Newberry, a son of the late Allen Hawkins and Pauline Nichols Lester. He was an Army veteran of WWII. He was a graduate of Newberry College and of the University of South Carolina where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was a professor at Newberry College for 35 years. Fred is survived by his wife, Frances Wise Lester of Newberry; a sister, Joyce L. Johnson of LaGrange, Ga.; and a number of special nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two sisters, Thelma Dominick and Bonnie Culclasure; and three brothers, Vernon Lester, Willie Frank Lester and Jimmie Lester. His heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Euphamia-Malissa-Pauline-Fred

1 Nov 2006 - I was sad to receive word from Robert Taylor yesterday of the passing of our cousin John T. Harrison. John, 94, of Sebring, Florida died Monday, October 30, 2006 in Sebring, Florida. Born in Pendergrass, Jackson County, Ga., he moved to Sebring in 1936. he had been a Florida resident since age 12. He retired from Joe Stiles Sr. Standard Oil Distributorship after 25 years. He was a member of Sebring Historical Society and First Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife of 79 years, Ellen (Taylor); sons, Jerry W. of Tallahassee and John S. of Bartow; brother, mark of lake City, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. His heritage: James-Otis-Ellen(wife of John)

16 Oct 2006 - Memorial to Jean - In August, shortly after Jean Ward died, her husband Rufus sent me the text of a tribute or a memorial to her. It is a very touching account of their life together. I have placed it as a separate page and linked it to the Memorials page. Click here to read the tribute.

13 Aug 2006 - In DC - I am now back in DC. I am now on a long-term assignment here. I am still keeping my residence in Tennessee, but we have an apartment here. I apologize that I haven't been updating the site regularly in the last month. Getting up here and the new job have been very chaotic. Things are starting to settle out now and hopefully I can do better.

29 May 2006 - Thoughts and Prayers Requested - Jean Ward, wife of Rufus Ward, is in serious condition in Shands Hospital, in Gainesville, Florida. She went into the hospital three weeks ago for a reverse shoulder replacement and complications set in. She has now been in the hospital for three weeks and is still in a serious condition. We all have the family in our thoughts and prayers as they go through this ordeal. Her heritage: Noah-Rufus-Verlie-Rufus.

28 May 2006 - I am saddened to report that our cousin Reba Sue Newby died Sunday, April 2, 2006, at a local hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Born Reba Sue Hawkins Sept.10, 1936, in Jonesboro, Ark, she was the daughter of Haskell Hawkins and Marguerite Stenger Hawkins. Survivors include her husband of 39 years, Jim Newby of Hot Springs; two sons, Keith Walsh of Pearcy, AR, Ken Walsh of Lonsdale; three daughters, Holly Fish and her husband Tom of New Castle, N.H., Lynda Postlewate and her husband Richard of Hot Springs, Anita Rodgers and her husband Greg of Dale, Texas. Other surviviors include eight grandchildren, Kristen Walsh, Jennifer Walsh, Kyle Walsh, Amber Walsh, Tammy Halcomb, Sarah Carter, Jessica Carter and Chad Allison. Other survivors include four great-grandchildren. Her heritage: Isabella-George-Curry-Haskell-Reba.

6 May 2006 - Major Milestone! - I am delighted to announce the 70th wedding anniversary of John and Ellen Harrison. They were married April 29, 1936 in Lake City, Florida and have resided in Sebring, Florida for the last 70 years. They have two children: Jerry and wife Jan of Tallahassee, Florida and Johnny and wife Lucy of Bartow Florida. They have four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Ellen is the daughter of Otis and Belle Taylor. Her heritage: James-Otis-Ellen. (Pardon the photo quality - It is a newspaper scan).

5 Apr 2006 - Tornados in Dyer - I'm sure you have all hear about the devastating tornados in Dyer County, Tennessee. Many of us have been especially concerned, since it is a center for our family and many of our relatives live there. I have been enquiring about our relatives. Here's information I got from Roxanne Gibbons, "None of the people were kin to us as far as I know. This was the worst thing I've ever seen. It looks like a war zone is what people are saying. For about a 20 mile stretch there's trees down and no homes. There are 15 people dead in Dyer County and 8 in Gibson County. The tornado hit about a mile from my brother Chris's home and lifted about 1 1/2 mile from mine. God was with us."

1 Mar 2006 - Luncheon Arrangements Set - The luncheon at the reunion will be different this time, but we have done this once before. Helen Craft and Norma Horton have volunteered to prepare the noon meal at the reunion for only $5 per person 12 years of age and older. They plan to grill hotdogs and hamburgers and provide side dishes such as baked beans and potato salad along with dessert, drinks, and utensils. What a deal! We should come out ahead on this at the expense of their hard work. See the Columbia 2006 Web page for full details of the reunion.

24 Feb 2006 - Hotel Arrangements Set - Thanks to a substantial effort by Helen Craft, the hotel arrangements are now set. The headquarters hotel will be the Holiday Inn and Suites in Lake City. This is the new hotel that replaced the one we used before. It is a very nice hotel and we have a great arrangement. We have a block of rooms for the reunion at a special rate ($89). They are clustering the rooms on the 6th floor around the Presidential suite, which we will use as a get-together room. Helen Craft and Norma Horton will be providing snacks in the suite as they did before in Lake City.

Important- To reserve a room, call 386-754-1411 and ask for the Taylor Family Reunion. Don't reserve by any other method. If you reserve by any other means, you won't get the special rate, you won't be located in the cluster, and we won't get the room counted in the block we've reserved. Most people will stay Friday and Saturday nights and we have a good number of people get together on those nights. I'll arrive on Thursday and some of us will get together that night. These get-togethers have become a fun and important part of the reunion. The Columbia 2006 page has full details of the reunion and will always contain the latest information.

20 Feb 2006 - Help with Missing Taylors - As is normal, some of the mailouts are being returned because people have moved and their forwarding address has expired. When this happens contact can be lost for good. Please go to the Missing Taylors page and see if you know any of these people and can provide a current contact.

17 Feb 2006 - Descendancy Books Complete - I have now updated the descendancy books for William and Ann. This makes the update of the books complete. To access the book go to the person's page and click on "Printable Book of Descendants".

9 Feb 2006 - Finally - I have finally updated the Newberry 2005 with the information from the reunion. I have an account of the events and quite a few photos. I can't identify all in the photos. I would appreciate your help. This time the photos are numbered to facilitate that. Please provide any other updates or corrections. It takes a lot of work to put one of these together.

5 Feb 2006 - Reunion Date Set - The date for the 2006 family reunion has been set. It will be Saturday, June 10, 2006 in Lake City, Florida. Norma Horton and Helen Craft volunteered and have been assisting me in making preparations. Mike Millikin has generously obtained the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church for us to use for the reunion. With my Gypsy lifestyle these days, their help is critical for this reunion to come off. Information can be found on the Columbia 2006 Web page. I will also mail postcards shortly. As always, the latest information will be available on the Web site. Come to the reunion and combine it with a trip to the beach or to Walt Disney World.

21 Jan 2006 - Remembering Those Who Left us in 2005. In 2005 we lost several cousins and they are missed very much. Now at the new year, let's remember them once more. You can see more about them on the Memorials page.

- Janet Lynn Hawkins Willett - January 11
- Faye Dumas - January 14
- Willette Taylor Connelly - March 27
- Orville Taylor - May 5
- Barney Hawkins - May 23
- Linus Taylor - December 7

9 Dec 2005 - We are very sad to report the passing our cousin the Rev. Linus Breazeel Taylor of Batesburg, South Carolina on Wednesday, December 7. Born in Newberry County, a son of the late Clarence Samuel and Ossie Lee Smith Taylor, he was the husband of the late Reba "Lila" Delilah Taylor. Mr. Taylor served in the U.S. Army as an M.P. in the Korean Conflict. He was a carpenter and a Minster. He was a member of the American Legion Post #65 and a member and pastor of Open Bible Baptist Church. Surviving are three daughters, Reba Taylor Durst of West Columbia, Becky Taylor Comalander of Lexington and Frankie Taylor Smith of Leesville, a son, Linus B. Taylor, Jr., of Lexington, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a sister, Sara Crouch of Pelion. Mr. Taylor was preceded in death by a son, Wade C. Taylor of Gilbert, and a granddaughter, Stephanie Alicia Summers, of Gilbert. His heritage:

21 Oct 2005 - Major Milestone Reached - Since I began this site in January of 2002, I've had a goal of surpassing 10,000 hits. We reached that today. Our home page has been accessed 10,000 times. A lot of people have come into the site through the home page. Even more have come in via search engines to one of the other pages. They aren't counted in the 10,000 hits. It appears that David Boling (Israel-Austin-Fred-Nannie-Lloyd-David) may have been the 10,000th hit. Joan Holling (George-Nancy-Mattie-Smith-Joan) wins the prize for the closest guess as to when we would reach the milestone. Thanks for all your participation.

17 October 2005 - Back Home Again - My two month assignment has ended after only eleven months. We don’t know how long we’ll be home. It could be short or could be relatively permanent. The job assignment at the Department of Energy ended on Friday. My company thought that they could have me start on other work in DC the following Monday. That work has been delayed and it is uncertain by how long. The company sent me back to Oak Ridge to work until the next assignment. We had mixed feelings on leaving DC. We had a lot of fun while we were there and had adapted to the lifestyle. It was good to be going home, but it was hard to leave. Right now, however, we’re enjoying the house and the yard. It’s going to take a lot of work to get the house back to where we want it, since we left in a hurry. Hopefully now I will be able to spend more time a catch up on the Web site work. Thanks for your patience.

15 September 2005 - Welcome to the newest member of the Clan! - I am delighted to announce the birth of Taylor Grace Smith. She was born at 7:43 PM on 13 September 2005, weighed 9 1/2 pounds and was 21 1/4 inches long. The proud parents are J. Gary and Melissa Taylor Smith. Proud grandparents are William S. and Marie Taylor of Batesburg, SC. William S. (Sam) is a major researcher of the Taylors, a major contributor to this site and a great help with the reunions. We wish the family the best and we are glad they're having such a joyous event. A family photo can be seen at the bottom of the photo album on Ann's page.

10 Jul 2005 - Please bear with me - It is going to take a while to get some of the post reunion work done. I am still on travel in DC and don't have a lot of time to work on the site. My day job keeps interfering with my genealogy; but unfortunately, it pays the bills.

28 June 2005 - Reunion was Great! - We had a very successful reunion in Newberry last week. There were over 90 people at the Saturday reunion. About 20 cars were on the tour. Several of us visited on Thursday through Sunday. I'll post more as time permits. Now I have to take care of my day job.

21 Jun 2005 - In DC! - We are still on the work assignment, but now instead of Maryland, we are in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. Don't know how much longer we'll be here. I expect 2-3 months. During the move last week, we had interrupted Internet service. It's fixed now.

3 June 2005 - The reunion nears - The reunion is approaching. Remember, it is June 25. The Newberry 2005 page has been recently updated with additional information. I thought I might be home before the reunion, but I'm still in the DC area. William S (Sam) Taylor is handling a good deal of the local effort for me. His help is really appreciated.

26 May 2005 - Database frozen - descendancy books updated. I've now frozen the database prior to the reunion. I hope I got all of your changes in, but I have to freeze it in order to produce the descendancy book. The books have been replaced with the new ones on all of the children's and William's pages.

23 May 2005 - It really saddened me today to learn that Barney Hawkins died May 21. He died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was born Lowell Barnell Hawkins in June of 1926 in Friendship, Tennessee. His parents were the late Lowell and Sally Hawkins. He was married to Ruth Ballinger. He was also a Veteran of the Korean War and a Member of the Masonic order. He was a very likable person and showed his enthusiasm for the family with attendance at many of the reunions. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a brother and three grandchildren. His heritage: Isabella-George-Fletcher-Lowell-Barney.

21 May 2005 - Oldest Family Photo - Pam Williams, gg-granddaughter of Israel found an old glass negative in a box of her Mother's. It turned out to be a photo of Israel's children Fletcher and Austin taken in about 1862 (Way to go, Pam!). It's the oldest photo of a Taylor kin that we have, and it gives hope that we may find others. It can be seen on Israel's page in the photo gallery.

6 May 2005 - A major force in the Taylor Triangle has passed - I was extremely saddened to learn that Orville Taylor died last night at his home in Lake City, Florida. Orville, along with Erma Millikin, and Van Dyke Taylor were the three people who provided the first connection with the Florida branch of our Taylors. When I was calling Taylors in Lake City trying to find a relative, Orville was the one with whom I first connected. When we first visited Florida, he and Erma were the first ones we met. It was he who pushed me to have the reunions and he kept pushing until I had them. He was proud of his heritage and enthusiastic about documenting it and keeping relationships with cousins. This is both a loss to the Taylor clan and a personal loss to me.

Orville Dayton Taylor was born on November 23, 1925 to Russell and Atlanta Ellis Taylor. He was a grandchild of Noah Taylor and Cordelia Cheek. He had a military career that included both the Navy and the Air Force. He was married on March 10, 1950 to Krista Leschnik of Gliewitz, Germany. They had four sons and a daughter. After retiring from the military, he settled in Lake City, Florida. He is survived by his wife Krista, his brother Van Dyke, his four children, and grandchildren. Services will be at the United Methodist Church in Worthington Springs, FL, on Monday, May 9 at 11:00. There are photos of Orville in earlier years on Noah's page. His heritage: Noah-Russell-Orville

27 Apr 2005 - Welcome to the clan! I'm delighted to announce the birth of Kyle Davidson McGraw. Kyle was born in Foster City, California, at 7:53 pm March 30, 2005. Proud parents are Pat and Christina McGraw. Proud grandparents are Dave and Dolores Whitaker. All are doing well. We want to congratulate them and wish them well. A family portrait is on Isabella's page. His heritage: Isabella-George-Curry-George-George-Dolores-Christina-Kyle.

7 Mar 2005 - Hotel Set for Reunion - I've now made hotel arrangements. They are given on the Newberry 2005 page. I recommend that you make reservations early. I had some difficulty making arrangements because the Ms. South Carolina will be in Newberry the same day as the reunion. Recommend that you don't delay.

17 Jan 2005 - Reunion Set! The reunion is now set for June 25, 2005 in Newberry County, South Carolina. Details are on the Newberry 2005 page. Mark your calendars and try to come. Announce to your close relatives.

28 Nov 2004 - In Maryland - We arrived in Maryland today after a long holiday weekend drive (bumper-to-bumper). We're at the hotel in Gaithersburg and will be there for some time except for coming home for Christmas week. I've taken along all my major computing equipment so I'll be able to correspond normally and maintain the Web site (as evidenced by this update).

30 Mar 2005 - I received the sad news today of the death of Willette Taylor Connelly of Leesville, South Carolina on March 27. Born Willette Taylor on June 4, 1905, in Saluda County, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late John Wade Calhoun and Kitty Regina Hare Taylor. She was the wife of the late Wilbur Fletcher Connelly. She lived in the Pond Branch, South Carolina Community for sixty-three years and was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She is survived by three daughters, three sons, twenty grandchildren, thirty-three great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Olivia Bennis. Burial was in the Whittenburg Lutheran Church Cemetery. Her heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Calhoun-Willette

26 Mar 2005 - Welcome to the clan - I'd like to welcome the newest member of the Taylor tribe. Roxanne Wery was born on December 2, 2004. The proud parents are Scott and Lou Ann Wery. We'd like to congratulate them. A portrait of the family is in the photo gallery on George's page. Her heritage: George-Nancy-Mattie-Preston-Dixie-Lou Ann-Roxanne.

11 Mar 2005 - Contest - After 3 years, the counter has now recorded that there have been over 8,300 accesses to our home page. Many others have come in to other of our pages by way of search engines. It's been a personal goal to me to reach the 10,000 mark. I thought for fun I would have a little contest. Email me by April 30 with the date that you expect that we will reach 10,000. The one who comes closest wins five of the Taylor Triangle keychain tape measures (pictured). It may not be a grand prize, but this is for fun.

9 Mar 2005 - I'm sorry to hear that Faye Dumas 86 died on 14 January 2005 in Fort Worth, Texas. Born Faye Padgett on May 6 1918 in Hill County Texas, she was married to Curtis O. Dumas who preceded her in death Feb 20, 1997. She worked as a nurse at Grant-Buie Hospital for three years and was later employed for 11 years in the office of Dr. Norman West. Survivors include three children, four grandchildren, three step grandchildren, and five step great grand children. Her heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Calhoun-Annie-Faye.

24 Jan 05 - I was very sad to hear this morning that our cousin Janet Lynn Hawkins Willett died of a heart attack January 11, 2005 at her home in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Born in Orange, California on April 18, 1957, she was the daughter of the late Layton Jerald and Darlene Beauford Hawkins. Surviving are a son, Steven Willett; daughters, Michelle Willett and Kathryn Willett; and brothers Layton "Bill" Hawkins and John Hawkins. She is buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, CA. She was a sister to John Hawkins, one of the major researchers of the line, a major contributor to the site and regular at the reunions. Her heritage: Isabella-Simon-John-Layton-Layton-Janet.

19 Jan 2005 - Happy Birthday to Us!!! - It was three years ago on the fifth that I installed the first crude version of this Web site. A lot has happened since. The site has served far beyond just sharing of genealogy information. It has been a place to share information about our cousins and to help give us a sense of family. It has also been an effective "bait" to make contact with branches of the family and to get others involved. You can help by sending information, photos, and letting me know when a life event happens to one of our cousins (birth, death, marriage, graduation, etc.). Your participation will greatly advance the family ties we all value so much.

16 Nov 2004 - Off again!! - My job is sending me off again. This time I going to be working in Germantown, MD (DC suburb) for about three months. This came as a surprise this week, and things are happening fast. Ginny and I will leave for Maryland a week from Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving). Unfortunately, I have two business trips between now and then. That really has us scrambling. We'll be living at an extended stay hotel in Gaithersburg, MD. I now have a new laptop as my main computer, so I will have full capability for the Web site and email while we are there. The thing I won't have is paper files. More on this later.

1 Oct 2004 - Descendancy update - I have now entered all of the family updates I've gotten at the reunion and via email. I have created new descendancy books reflecting the updates. Sorry it took so long, but the process is manually intensive. The books are on William's page and all of the children pages.

27 Sep 2004 - Newest Members of the Clan - We are delighted to announce the birth of Luke Oneill (Baby A) and Caleb Monroe Harrison (Baby B). They were born on September 21 in Bathesda, MD to Tristan and Amber Harrison. Luke is 5 lb 9 oz and Caleb is 4 lb 13 oz. The very proud grandparents are Julian and Mary Harrison of Bushnell, FL. Their heritage: [Viney-Fannie-Peter-Mary-Tristan-Luke and Caleb]

11 Sep 2004 - Welcome to the Clan! I was delighted to hear this weekend from a new cousin Lynn Southwell. Lynn found us through a search engine using his grandmother's name. He's a gg-grandson of James. His father had been involved with the Lake City reunions many years ago, but we have not had contact with that branch. I'm looking forward to the additional information he can provide. His heritage: James-Susannah-Inez-Lynn-Lynn.

2 Aug 2004 - Cousin in a race - Cousin Mike Millikin is running for superintendent of the Columbia County, FL school system. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent. The primary is at the end of August with the general election in November. Check out his web site (www.mikemillikin.com). His mother was Erma Millikin, who was my first major contact with the Florida group and an avid participant in the family. We wish him well in his campaign.

1 Aug 2004 - I'm very sad to report that our cousin, James Wilson Livingston died on July 13 after undergoing open heart surgery in Atlanta. Wilson was born on May 6, 1935 in Newberry, SC. He grew up in Moncks Corner, SC and graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. He lived most of his life in Gainesville, GA and retired as a bank Vice President there in 2000. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, hunting, and gardening. He is survived by his wife Betty, two daughters Jane Carpenter and Leigh Livingston, a sister Joan Holling, and three grandchildren. His heritage: George-Nancy-Mattie-Smith-Wilson.

30 July 2004 - Finally posted the Reunion Page and Pictures - I finally modified the Dyer 2004 reunion page with information and photos from the reunion. I posted before I had all the photos labeled in order to delay no longer. I will continue labeling the photos. You can help by identifying some of the people.

28 June 2004 - Reunion was Great! Just got back from the reunion last night. It seemed to be enjoyed by everyone. Have to go to Charleston on business today. Will post more when I return.

18 July 2004 - Please be Patient - Since we returned from the reunion we have had a couple of family emergencies that have held us captive. I have been unable to follow through with posting information from the reunion or other information you have sent me. With any luck I can start within the next couple of weeks.letters are posted on the Dyer 2004 page.

30 May 2004 - I'm very sad to report that we have lost one of our dear cousins. Ada Taylor Lawson died Saturday, May 29 2004 in Saluda County, South Carolina. The loss is especially great because she was the mother of one of the major researchers and supporters of this effort William S. (Sam) Taylor. She also attended many of the reunions. She was an active member of the Baptist Church and served in various roles in the local congregation. She loved gardening and crafts. Ada was born Ada Belle Tharp in Poyner, Missouri on May 20, 1924. Her parents were late John William and Barbara Caroline Niswonger Tharp. She was proceeded in death by her first husband Smith C. Taylor and second husband Orace R. Lawson. Surviving children are William S. Taylor, Rachel Reed, Barbara Edwards and Shirley Adams. Funeral services will be held at 2:00PM Monday, May 31, 2004 at Milton Shealy Funeral Home Chapel. Her heritage [Ann-Jefferson-John-Clarence-Smith Calhoun (husband)]

27 May 2004 - New Descendancy Books - I have now frozen the database to produce the reunion materials. I have now generated new descendancy books. These are now reflected in all the descendancy books on the site. They now have the latest changes.

2 May 2004 - I'm Back! - We arrived back in Oak Ridge last Thursday. Hopefully I'll be here for a while. The work in DC was challenging, but being in DC in the Spring was nice. Ginny and I were able to really enjoy our time off.

21 Mar 2004 - New Location! - I am now in Washington, DC for the near future. My company (SAIC) has a large contract with the U. S. Department of Education at the Department of Education headquarters. I have been sent up to help the Director of Information Technology setup some management processes and to assist him in general management. Ginny and I are staying at an extended stay hotel for the moment. If this drags out longer, we will get an apartment. I have loaded all of my email and my Web site tools on my notebook PC and brought them with us. I should be able to carry on the Taylor Triangle business from here.

24 Jan 2004 -More Missing Taylors - Please Help! - I just mailed out the postcards announcing this year's reunion last week. I have gotten back four as undeliverable. It's important that I get these addresses updated. Look on the Missing Taylors page and give me feedback.

6 Jan 2004 - Reunion Motel Set - Today I made arrangements for the motel for the reunion. More on the Dyer 2004 page.

27 Dec 2003 - Reunion Set! The 2004 Reunion is set for Saturday June 26, 2004 in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Mark your calendars. Check the Dyer 2004 Reunion Page for details as they develop.

19 Mar 2004 - I'm sad to report that we've lost another cousin. James S. Taylor passed peacefully in his own bed March 06,2004 in Polk, FL. James, son of Noah J. Taylor and Edith Mixon Taylor was born in Lake City on December 23, 1926. Services are set for March 20 at 11:00 at the Bethel United Methodist Church in Lake City. His heritage: James-Oscar-Noah-James.

17 Feb 2004 - I'm extremely happy to announce the newest member of the clan. Eric Broward Malphrus was born February 14, 2004 in St. Louis, Missouri. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 22 inches long, he is the son of Joni and Keith Malphrus. Lindsay and Stephen Malphrus are his siblings. Rufus and Jean Ward are proud grandparents. Eric's middle name is in honor of his uncle Broward Ward who died two years ago. We all celebrate this new Taylor descendant. Eric's heritage: Noah-Rufus-Verlie-Rufus-Joni-Eric

12 Feb 2004 - I was extremely sad to hear last night of the death of Drew Richardson. Drew, 20, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, died Monday, Feb. 9, 2004 at Dyersburg Regional Medical Center. Services were at 1 p.m. today in the chapel of Dyersburg Funeral Home with burial in Fairview Cemetery in Dyersburg. Daniel Andrew Richardson was born in Dyersburg on May 12, 1983. His parents are Connie and Danny Richardson. Pat and Jere Blalock are grandparents. His heritage: Robert-Thomas-Robert-Pat-Connie-Drew.

1 Feb 2004 - I was sad to hear this week of the death of Dwight (David) Patrick. David, 47 died in Horn Lake, Mississippi on January 12. He was born August 12, 1956 and was the son of Dallas and Elizabeth Patrick. He was a Vietnam War veteran and a member of the dive team for DeSoto County Search and Rescue. Surviving are his wife Deborah Carr Patrick; six daughters, Angela McCanless, Jaqulin Artrip, April Owens, Amanda Patrick, Sarah Patrick and Danielle Patrick; two sons, Samuel Artrip and Ben Fullerton; his father, Dallas D. Patrick; four sisters, Sharon Sheppard, Dianne Patrick, Susan Wilson, and Donna Beth Welsh-Morman; a brother, Stephen Patrick; and three grandchildren. His heritage: Robert-Thomas-Clita-Elizabeth-David.

12 Jan 2004 - Recent Marriage - Charlie Graham Harrison was married December 27, 2003 at the First Baptist Church in Okeechobee, Florida. His bride is Amanda Blake Chandler, daughter of Monrad and Gwen Chandler. The grooms parents are Julian and Mary Harrison of Bushnell, Florida. Charlie's heritage: Viney-Fannie-Peter-Mary-Charlie. We wish the couple the best of happiness.

5 Jan 2004 - Happy Birthday to Us!!! - It was two years ago today that I installed the first crude version of this Web site. A lot has happened since. The site has served far beyond just sharing of genealogy information. It has been a place to share information about our cousins and to help give us a sense of family. It has also been an effective "bait" to make contact with branches of the family and to get others involved. You can help by sending information, photos, and letting me know when a life event happens to one of our cousins (birth, death, marriage, graduation, etc.). Your participation will greatly advance the family ties we all value so much.

31 Dec 2003 - Remembering Those Who Left us in 2003. In 2003 we lost several cousins and they are missed very much. Now at the new year, let's remember them once more. You can see more about them on the Memorials page.

Autie Whitson - January 4

Erma Millikin - February 3

Russell Taylor Junior - April 3

Opal Lansky - April 27

Jennifer Lenderman - July 4

Valera Holstien - July 14

Fannie Witt - September 21

Linda Redden - December 23

23 Dec 2003 - I'm sad to report that our cousin Linda Sue Redden died yesterday. She died at her mother's home in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. She succumbed to heart failure after an extended illness. She was born Linda Sue Ledford in Dyersburg, Tennessee on January 26, 1954 to James and Geraldine Ledford. Funeral arrangements are pending. Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Nannie-Geraldine-Linda.

25 Dec 2003 - Happy Holidays!! I hope you all have a great holiday period and can look forward to a prosperous new year. I look forward to our interaction as a family in 2004.

13 October 2003 - Welcome to new member of the clan. I'm happy to make the belated announcement of the birth of Damien William Jordan. Damien was born June 16, 2003 in Alabama. The proud parents are Jessie and Ray Jordan of near Huntsville, Alabama. Grandfather is Steve Moon and Great-grandmother is Shirley Moon of Peoria, Illinois. His heritage [Robert-Thomas-Owen-Shirley-Steve-Jessie-Damien].

6 October 2003 - I'm back - I'm back and making updates. I have now retired from Bechtel Jacobs Company and have accepted an offer from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). I can now both receive a pension and a full salary. Maybe at this rate I can really retire in a few years. I'm taking some time off and will start with SAIC on November 3. While I am off, I intend to do a fair amount of updating of the site. Check regularly.

21 September 2003 - I just learned of the death of our cousin Fannie Graham Witt. She died September 3, 2003 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was buried on September 7 in Lake City, Florida. Born Fannie Graham on April 28, 1922 in Union County, Florida, she was the daughter of Alvarado Graham and Rettie Brooks Graham. Children are Becky England and Jay Witt. Her heritage: Viney - Fannie - Alvarado - Fannie.

7 September 2003 - What's happened to me? - You may have been wondering why there haven't been may updates. I have been pretty tied up. I am taking early retirement from my current job and am in the middle of finding my next job. This has kept me pretty busy and will until I find my next position. More news later.

9 August 2003 - Reunion Page and Photos - I finally got the Columbia 2003 page updated and populated with photos from the reunion. Sorry it took so long. It was quite a bit of work. Now I have to get the photos labeled. You can help in identifying the people.

14 July 2003 - I'm sorry to report that Valera Holstein, widow of Sidney Otis Holstein, Jr. died Sunday July 13, 2003. Born Valera Bowers on March 23, 1914 in Saluda County, SC, she was a daughter of the late Albert Oscar and Ethel Taylor Bowers. She was a member of Ridge Spring Baptist Church and was a housewife. Surviving are daughters, Rebecca H. Hart of Hickory, NC, Robin H. Walker of Columbia, SC, Rachel H. Bradshaw of Chapin, SC; brother Truman S. Bowers of Leesville, SC; sisters Gladys Fulmer and Amorette Bowers of Leesville; sister-in-law, Valarie H. Tingle of Columbia; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Burial will be Wednesday, July 16, 2003 at Ridge Crest Memorial Park in Batesburg. Her heritage: (Ann-Jefferson-George Rufus-Ethel-Valera)

4 July 2003 - I gives me great pain to inform that my daughter Jennifer Lenderman, 32, died unexpectedly at noon today in her home near Oak Ridge, TN. Her death was from a sudden onset of complications from her diabetes. She was born Jennifer Kay Taylor on September 16, 1970. She lived in the Oak Ridge area with her husband William Lenderman and children Chelsea, 11years old, and James, 9 years old. In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her parents Miller & Ginny Taylor; brothers Joel, Jerry, Robert, and Donald Taylor; and sister Holly Taylor. Funeral was July 7 in Oak Ridge and burial and graveside services were on Tuesday, July 8 at the Oak Ridge Memorial Park. Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Miller-Jennifer

29 Jun 2003 - Back from Reunion. The reunion was great! Eighty-four people attended on Saturday and a large number were at the hotel. I got some new photos and will be adding them over the next two or three weeks. I want to again thank Mike Millikin, Helen Craft, and Norma Horton for their contribution to the effort in making the reunion a success. Next June - Dyer County, Tennessee.

3 Jun 2003 - Reunion's Near! Check Columbia 2003 page for details

29 May 2003 - Graduated this month

Brandi Lynn Earp

Dyersburg State Community College

Dyersburg, Tennessee

Parents: Mike and Sylvia Earp

Heritage: [Robert-Thomas-Nannie-Peggy-Mike-Brandi]

10 May 2003 - New Feature. Added a page that gives photos that we can't identify. It's called Mystery Photos. These are the photos found in a drawer and are likely related, but we can't identify them. Help us identify by visiting the page.

9 May 2003 - More Missing Taylors - More of the mailouts have been returned. Checkout the Missing Taylors page and help me locate some of those that have moved.

1 May 2003 - Graduating this spring -

Katherine Ann Millikin

Columbia High School

Lake City, Florida

Parents: Mike and Terri Millikin

Heritage: [Noah-Trumie-Erma-Mike-Katherine]

26 Apr 2003 - Additional information is available on the upcoming reunion on the Columbia 2003 page. This includes the upcoming mailouts, motel information, and tour information.

18 May 2003 - Producing Reunion Materials - I am now producing the wall charts and other materials for the reunion. I cannot make changes to the family database while I'm producing the materials. After I produce the materials, any changes to the database won't show up on the materials. I'll still gladly take information. It just won't show up in the reunion materials.

28 Apr 2003 - Last night a nephew of her's informed me that Opal Lansky had died in Memphis, TN. She had been ill for a long time. Born Opal Jeanette Belton in Dyer Co., TN on October 13, 1922, she was the daughter of Homer Belton and Carrie Taylor Belton. She was married first to Robert L. Coleman, who died in 1965. She later married Ted S. Lansky, who died in 1993. She lived most of her life in Memphis, TN and for 30 years worked for the top management of the school system there. She is survived by children: Richard L. Coleman, Linda Diane Coleman, Patti Bowlan, and Betty Forbus; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Opal was enthusiastic about the Taylor family heritage and always wanted to know more. She will be missed. Her heritage:Israel-Austin-Carrie-Opal

12 Apr 2003 - Newest Member of the Clan! - On April 7, 2003, Justin Michael Dostart was born at the Ft. Walton Medical Center in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. The proud parents are Heather and Rob Dostart of Ft. Walton. Mother and child are both doing well. Among the very proud grandparents are Gaylon and Carolyn Taylor and Peggy Taylor. We wish them all well at this happy time. His heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Gaylon-Heather-Justin.

3 Apr 2003 - I sadly just learned of the death of Russell Thomas Taylor Junior. He died on Tuesday, April 1, at his home in Alachua, Florida, after a brief illness. Born October 1, 1918, in Worthington Springs, FL, he was the son of Russell and Atlanta Taylor and the grandson of Noah and Cordelia Taylor. He is survived by his wife of sixty years Myra, sons Russell and Franklin, daughters Norma Horton and Helen Craft, 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Russell was a delightful, cheery person who loved his family and the family history. He and his family have been great supporters of the Taylor research and his descendants hosted the 2000 reunion. He will be missed.

3 Feb 2003 - A significant part of our family research was lost today. Erma Millikin died in the early hours this morning in Lake City, Florida. Erma and her cousin Orville were my first connection with the Florida branch of the family. Erma and her cousins Orville and Noah were the key instigators that started the reunions. She loved the family and did everything she could to promote the Taylor family coming together. We visited with her many times. This is a personal loss to me. Born Erma Dea Nettles on January 10, 1921, she was the daughter of Trumie Taylor Nettles and Ike Nettles. She was the granddaughter of Noah Taylor and his second wife Cordelia Cheek. She lived most of her life in the Lake City area and was very active there. She is survived by a son Mike and wife Terri and granddaughters Katherine Ann and Mary Elizabeth. Receiving of friends will be at Sherrill-Guerry Funeral Home 5-7 PM on Tuesday. Funeral Services will be Wednesday at 4:30 at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.

25 Jan 2003 - Help! A few cards for the reunion are coming back marked undeliverable. Please help locate these people. See the Missing Taylors page.

18 Jan 2003 - Check out the new look of the home page headers and sidebars and individual page headings- more later.

5 Jan 2003 - Additional information is available on the upcoming reunion on the Columbia 2003 page.

5 Jan 2003 - Happy Birthday to Us!!! - One year ago today, I installed the first crude version of this Web site. I have a lot to do before I'm happy with it, but we have come a long way. Thank you for all your support and kind words. The things I most want to improve are the descendancy books and the number of photos. I still have a large collection of photographs I haven't used, and I have a lot of information that is not reflected in the descendancy books. If I didn't have a day job, I would have these done already.

04 Jan 2003 - I was sadly just learned of the passing of a close cousin of mine. Autie Whitson died at her daughter's home in Indiana this morning. Born Autie Gourley August 6, 1921, to George and Nannie Gourley, she grew up in Dyer County, TN. She spent a great deal of her adult life in Gary, Indiana, but returned to Dyer County and lived there until poor health forced her to move to her daughter's home just a few months ago. She was very interested in the family and was a source of great stories of the family. She is survived by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren Funeral arrangements are still pending. Her heritage: [Robert-Thomas-Nannie-Autie]

22 Dec 2002 - Unfortunately, I learned today of the death of Clara Purdy. She was born Clara Fulmer to Viola Mills (Ola) and John B. Fulmer on 26 August 1925 in Newberry County. Prior to her retirement, she lived in Alexendria, Virginia and was a secretary in the U. S. Department of Defense. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church. She was the widow of Robert A. Purdy and is survived by children, siblings, and grandchildren. She was buried at Newberry Memorial Gardens. Her heritage: Ann-Mary Elizabeth-Viola-Clara

22 Dec 2002 - I'm sorry to announce that I learned yesterday of the death of Lester (Bud) Horton husband of Norma Horton. Bud died October 21 in Bradenton, Florida where he and his wife lived. Born June 21, 1926, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years as a gunnery sergeant and he received the Purple Heart. He was the former sheriff of Oxford County, Maine. He is survived by his wife, five daughters, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Norma is a direct descendant of William and Elizabeth Taylor (Noah-Russell-Russell-Norma).

14 Dec 2002 - I sadly learned today of the death of Minnie L. Smith on Monday, December 9 in Sebring, Florida. She was buried at the Pinecrest Cemetery in Sebring on Friday, December 13. Born Minnie Lena Taylor on March 20, 1911 in Lake City, Florida, she moved to the Sebring area in 1920. She is survived by her husband, Dennis W. Smith, a son Gene Foster, a sister Ellen Harrison, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the daughter of Otis O. and Rena Taylor and the granddaughter of James A. Taylor, son of William and Elizabeth.

24 Nov 2002 - Been gone! I haven't made many changes in the site and have been slow to answer email in the last 3 weeks. That was from a combination of working budgets at work and business travel. I'm back now and hope to add more to the site over the holidays.

24 Nov 2002 - Improved feature! Today I began the process of replacing the printable descendancy charts with a new format. This is a printable descendancy book. This is nicely formatted with a table of contents and index. I hope you like it. I will be replacing them one at a time. Today, I'm replacing Israel's. Others to follow over the next few days. Some of the updates you've given me may still not be reflected yet. Please be patient.

30 Oct 2002 - I sadly learned today that Mertie H. Connelly died July 16, 2002. Her husband James Ira Connelly died in 1999. Born Mertie Irene Hawkins on July 1, 1921, she was the daughter of Colin Ray Hawkins and Artie Irene Taylor. She was the granddaughter of Noah Elijah Taylor and Ellen Rosanna Nichols. She was the great-granddaughter of Jefferson Madison Taylor and Mary Ann Caroline Lever. Her great-great-grandmother was Margaret Anna Taylor, daughter of William and Elizabeth. Mertie lived in the Prosperity, SC area (our ancestral home) throughout her life. She attended St. Luke's Lutheran church there, a church closely associated with our family and the Hawkins. She was very interested in family history and provided me with a good deal of information. She will be sadly missed.

20 Oct 2002 - New Feature - I've now added a page called "Web Links". This page provides links to other Web sites that are of particular interest to Taylor descendants and researchers. It will take me a while to populate all of the links.

New Feature - I've added a new page called, "Blood Will Tell." This page is devoted to showing that many people in the Taylor line have similar appearances, even though from different lines and geographically separated. It just started with a single example. More to come.

26 Jul 2002 - New member of the tribe - On May 16, 2002, Jeremiah Jacob Opperman was born in Newburgh, Maine. He weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces at birth. The proud mother is Shannon Opperman, daughter of Donna Opperman-Darling. The great-grandmother is Shirley Moon of Peoria, Ill. This photo is at two weeks. The heritage: Robert - Thomas - Owen - Shirley - Donna -Shannon - Jeremiah.

Newberry Reunion Page - The Newberry 2002 reunion page is now posted with photos.

Memorials Page. I've established a Memorials Page to provide a place to remember those who pass on. After I posted the death notice of Ruth Mizelle Rahn, which I knew I wouldn't leave on the page forever, I decided to make a permanent location for these remembrances.

Fantastic new find! Erma Millikin found the obituary for Noah's first wife Nancy in Noah's bible. The obituary confirms a good deal of information that had been passed down orally to the family. See it on the Noah Taylor page.

Long hidden document! Erma Millikin provided me with copies of Noah Taylor's family bible. Hardly anyone has ever seen it. It's posted on the Noah Taylor page.

24 June 2002 - I was very saddened to hear this evening of the death of Fred Boatright, a Taylor researcher, cousin, and friend. Fred died Tuesday, June 18, after years of poor health associated with kidney failure. Fred lived most of his life in Arcadia, Florida, where his great grandparents had migrated from Lake City over 100 years ago. He was retired after working many years as manager in the highway department. He was the gg-grandson of Robert Taylor, the g-grandson of Mary Taylor Boatright, the grandson of Arthur Ozias Boatright, and the son of John Marion Boatright. He is survived by his wife Sonja, daughters Jennifer and Karen, and grandchildren.

14 June 2002 - I was shocked and saddened this evening to learn of the death of Peggy Gourley Earp. She died this morning unexpectedly of complications from surgery on the thyroid. She was the g-granddaughter of Robert Taylor, granddaughter of Thomas Carter Taylor, and daughter of Nannie Taylor Gourley. She lived most of her life in Dyersburg, TN. She was an enthusiastic supporter of the Taylor research and loved her extended family dearly. She was 68 and is survived by her husband Stanley, son Mike, daughter Kelly, and grandchildren. She was a special cousin to me.

23 May 2002 - I was saddened to hear today that Milton Eugene Blair passed away on January 25, 2002. Milton was the g-grandson of George Taylor, grandson of Nancy Taylor Blair, and son of George Cupid Blair and Frances Hamm Blair. His wife Hazel survives him. Our sympathy goes out to the family.\

15 Apr 2002 - I learned today of the death of Rufus Broward Ward Junior on February 17, 2002. He was the son of Rufus Broward and Lois Jean Ward. Born November 23, 1953, he was a gg-grandson of Noah Taylor and Nancy Hawkins Taylor. He was buried in Williston, Florida at the Orange Hill Cemetery. Our sympathy goes out to the family.

10 Mar 2002 - We're saddened to receive word from Buster Rahn that his wife Ruth Taylor Mizelle Rahn died March 7. Funeral and burial is today. She was the granddaughter of Noah, born 24 Mar, 1921, to Russell Taylor, Noah's second child by his marriage to Cordelia Cheek. She will be buried at Elzy Chapel Cemetery near Worthington Springs, FL. Our hearts go out to the family.

Mack Garrett and Yu Hong wed November 21, 2001 in Dalian, China. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Liu Jin Li and the late Liu Tian Zhang. The groom is the son of the late J. B. and Verdie Garrett. The couple plan on making their home in Dyersburg, Tennessee. (Robert-Thomas-Tommie-Verdie-Mack)

Zelda Fay Taylor died September 17, 2001 at her home in the Bruceville area of Dyer County, Tennessee. She was sister to my cousin and closest fellow researcher, Pat Blalock. Another sister, Dorothy Taylor Warren had died previously. She was born October 19, 1931 in Dyer County. Although she had lived in Memphis, Tennessee, for most of her life, she had returned to the area of her birth and lived across the road from where she was raised. She was the daughter of Robert and Vallie Taylor, the granddaughter of Thomas and Susie Taylor and the g-granddaughter of Robert and Mary Ann Taylor.