Bettie Taylor

Bettie Taylor died on January 6, 2024 at Oak Hills Living Center in New Ulm, MN. She was 93. Bettie was born in Trimble, MO, June 29, 1930, to Burr and May Wright, the oldest of five children. She is survived by her children, Bruce (Jo Anne) of New Ulm, MN, Sherida of Stanwood, WA, Mark (Janet) of Crystal Falls, MI, her sister Vivlyn of Chula Vista, CA, brother Bennie of Quartzsite, AZ, seven grand children, one great grandchild, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by husband Byron, her parents, and two brothers.

Bettie graduated from Edgerton, MO high school in 1948. In 1950 she married Byron Taylor of Mecca, MO. They were married for 57 years until Byron’s death in 2007. She lived in Emporia KS while Byron finished college, then spent one year each in Greensburg and Olathe KS before moving to Leavenworth, KS. The family later lived at RAF Lakenheath, UK, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Warrensburg, MO, and Kansas City, MO. She came to New Ulm in 2018 to be closer to family. She was employed as a secretary by the Leavenworth and Sault Ste. Marie schools, and as a civil servant at Kincheloe and Whiteman AFBs. She retired as a job classifier for the Corp of Engineers/Kansas City District. After retirement, Bettie was active in the Corps’ Retirement Club, serving as treasurer for several years.

Bettie was a deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church USA and a long time member of Westport Presbyterian Church. Bettie enjoyed cooking (with minimal salt), sewing, knitting and crocheting, badly enacting charades, making rubbings of memorial brasses in English churches, and playing violin in community orchestras. She was one of few amateur musicians who can say their teachers were graduates of the Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music, London. Her children are proud members of the Wooden Spoon Survivors’ Club.

Visitation will start at 9:30 on May 3rd at Westport Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, MO with Bettie’s memorial service at 11 a.m. Pastor Susan Wesley Hartley will officiate. Inurnment is at Greenlawn Cemetery in Plattsburg, MO, 10:00 a.m. on May 4th. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Westport Presbyterian or the charity of your choice are suggested.