Lebanon - Adeline "Irene" Taylor, 99, passed away Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at Good Samaritan Society, Grand Island, NE.
She was born in Hays, KS on July 7, 1918 to L.D. and Elizabeth Reynolds. On January 9, 1955 she married Pat Taylor in Hays and they began their family together, raising two children, Charles and Sharon.
Irene’s father L.D. thought it was important that she contributed to the war effort during WWII, so he sent her and her sister Esther to Washington D.C. to work in the Pentagon as a typist. In 1955 she married her husband Pat. They honeymooned in the southwest where they fell in love with the Native American people. They often returned to Four Corners as missionaries to the Reservations. They were active members of the Gideons and enjoyed making sure that everyone that needed a bible had one.
Pat had an active career in journalism where he bought and sold several newspapers, moving them from Hays to Sharon Springs and later Norton. They loved Sharon Springs so much they named their daughter after it. They ended up moving back to Irene’s family farm in Hays where they raised their kids. They enjoyed gardening and tending the apple orchard. Even in her 90’s, Irene still enjoyed canning and putting up vegetables with her daughter, grandkids, and friends!
Starting in 1989, Pat & Irene began the tradition of taking their camper and their dog Bernie to Woodston Family Camp. She attended every year since, and whenever possible she took her grandkids too. In fact, Irene loved to travel with her grandkids so much, she would take them with her whenever she could. She enjoyed taking the grandsons all over while they traveled for bridge games. She always got a hotel with a pool, which was the highlight of the trip.
In 1999 she moved to Smith County where she became a Lebanon-ite and quickly felt right at home in the community. She loved dragging best friend Eula Kattenberg everywhere; Jiffy Burger, to get pedicures, shopping and even just lunch at LaDow’s Supermarket. She also loved Sunday afternoon board games with her friends. Her favorite game was Rummikub enjoyed over a fresh pot of coffee and some dessert. When she moved to Lebanon, she downsized from an orchard to flowerbeds, which her grandkids often got in trouble for mowing over.
She made it a priority to attend church weekly with her daughter and son-in-law. She loved worshiping the Lord through music, and she always talked them into ice cream on the way home.
She spent her last few months living in Grand Island, NE with her son and daughter-in-law playing games, eating sweets, and watching her great granddaughters play, but she especially enjoyed going shopping for new clothes and going out to dinner.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Pat Taylor, and great granddaughter Quinnley Taylor.
She is survived by her children: Charley (Vickie) Taylor of Grand Island, and Sharon (Jim) Kattenberg of Lebanon; her sister Esther (Fred) Lang of Decatur, Georgia; her grandchildren Scott (Denise) Taylor of Dresden, Matt Taylor of Stillwater Oklahoma, AJ (Chelsea) Taylor of Grand Island, Sarah (Adam) Davis of Lincoln NE, Andrew (Sara Finton) Kattenberg of Cherryvale, Karli (Wyatt) Bauman of Lebanon, Kordell (Carly) Kattenberg of Junction City; 10 great grandchildren; and many other friends and relatives.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Heartland Worship Center, Agra, KS, with Pastors Darrell Schmid and Jonathan Gonifas officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will take place in Fort Hays Memorial Gardens, Hays, KS. Memorials may be given to Woodston Family Camp and sent in care of All Faiths Funeral Chapel, Smith Center, KS.