Obituary Details

Lydia "Grandma" Taylor

(07/03/1894 - 11/06/1962)
Courtesy of The Lusk Herald, 11/22/1962

Taylor Services Held in Lusk and South Dakota

Services for Mrs. Lydia "Grandma" Taylor, 98, Lusk's oldest resident, were held from the Peet Chapel in Lusk November 8 with second services in Virgil, S. Dak. November 9. She died November 6.

The Rev. Leroy Kellerman, pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, officiated at the Lusk service.

Mrs. Gerald Bardo, organist, accompanied Mrs. Val DeGroot who sang "Abide With Me" and "The Lord's Prayer."

Honorary pall bearers were: P. J. Owens, William Intveen, Otto Klemke, Walter Klemke, Henry Klemke and Martin Glandt.

Burial and second funeral services were held at Virgil, S. Dak. from the Methodist Church.

Lydia Baeder was born in Altbach, Germany July 3, 1864. She came to America in April 1883 and resided with her brothers, August, who was a professor of languages in a university in Cleveland, Ohio, Will, a Lutheran minister at Lincoln, Nebr., and Christian, a homesteader in South Dakota, where she made her home.

She married William B. Taylor in 1885. They had nine children. One son preceded her in death at the age of 21. Mr. Taylor died in May 1929 at Virgil. Since then Mrs. Taylor has made her home with her son, Don and family in Lusk and visiting at times with her other children.

"Grandma" Taylor, as she was best known, was Niobrara's oldest resident. She was a faithful member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lutheran Ladies Aid, and the Niobrara Chapter of War Mothers where she served as Chaplin since its organization. Four sons and 12 grandsons served in World Wars I and II and the Korean War.

Mrs. Taylor leaves eight children, Sylvanus and Olive of Wolsey, S. Dak., Cooley of Sheridan, Martin of Seattle, Wash., Loretta of Casper, and Robert, Don and Lois of Lusk, 28 grandchildren and 58 great grandchildren.

The Lusk Herald
November 8, 1962
Mrs. Taylor, 98, Dies Here Tues.

Mrs. Lydia "Grandma" Taylor, 98, died about 4:30 Tuesday afternoon at the home of her son, Don C. Taylor. She was Lusk's oldest resident and had been very ill for more than a month.

Funeral services will be held from the Peet chapel in Lusk at 2:30 p.m. this Thursday. The Rev. Leroy Kellerman, pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, will officiate. Burial will be made in Virgil, S. Dak. Saturday.

Mrs. Taylor was born in Germany July 3, 1864. At that time the Civil War was raging in America and Abraham Lincoln was president. She and her husband homesteaded near Virgil, S. Dak.

She is survived by five sons, S. H. Taylor, Virgil; C. N. Taylor, Sheridan; Martin Taylor, Seattle; Robert B. Taylor and Don C. Taylor, Lusk; three daughters, Mrs. C. A. McFarling, Wolsey, S. Dak.; Loretta Schripporeit, Casper, Mrs. Louis Eikenberry, Lusk. Also surviving are many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and several great-great-grandchildren.

Images & Attachments

Image
In 1956, Lydia Taylor, 94, was believed to be the oldest Democrat in Niobrara County
View
Image
The Taylor Family on 'Grandma' Taylors' 95th birthday - (seated) Vena Taylor, Grandma Lydia holding youngest great-grandchild Jeanne Hibbard, Mrs. Ollie McFarling; back row - Mrs. Lois Eikenberry, Don C. Taylor, Bob Taylor, Cooley Taylor, Martin Taylor, and Mrs. Lorretta Schipporeit.
View
Image
Gravestone picture, in Virgil, S.D., courtesy of photographer Gerry Karpen.
View

Related/Linked Records

Record Type Name
Obituary Eikenberry, Lois (04/08/1907 - 05/13/1985) View Record
Obituary Hibbard, Ruth (04/15/1933 - 08/04/2004) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Don (02/25/1896 - 12/03/1993) View Record
Obituary Schipporeit, Loretta (01/27/1898 - 12/14/1999) View Record
Obituary Sorenson, Barbara (01/14/1931 - 02/10/1994) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Neoma (09/09/1926 - 01/20/1994) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Cooley (08/07/1890 - 06/30/1991) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Donald (01/15/1925 - 05/20/1954) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Ethel (04/07/1897 - 11/06/1984) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Gladys (01/01/1911 - 05/05/1977) View Record
Obituary Sorenson, David (01/18/1955 - 04/07/1956) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Agnes (11/18/1890 - 11/14/1958) View Record
Obituary Taylor, Robert (12/04/1890 - 01/30/1965) View Record
Obituary Sorenson, Thomas (07/13/1958 - 11/29/1958) View Record
Obituary Eikenberry, Howard (06/20/1907 - 10/30/1983) View Record
Obituary Taylor, William (11/02/1928 - 06/18/2010) View Record
Obituary Lee, Marsha (07/13/1953 - 07/13/1953) View Record