Walter Edwin Taylor, 71, of Cove died March 1, 2001, at his home.
His funeral was Tuesday, March 6, at the Union LDS Chapel with Bishop Jerry Baxter officiating. Interment followed at the Cove Cemetery.
Mr. Taylor was born Nov. 13, 1929, on his grandparent’s ranch near Chiloquin to Marion and Orilla Shadley Taylor. He was the 8th of 9 children. He worked as a timber faller until a logging accident in the early 1960s. He and his late wife, Shirley (Needham) Taylor, owned and ran the Cove Tavern in the ’60s.
He attended school in Haines, Baker City and Tigard. He lived in Cove for 38 years.
Mr. Taylor loved children, hunting, fishing, his family, gardening, woodworking, rock hunting, reading and riding in the mountains. He also enjoyed watching sporting events, especially school sports. He taught hunter safety classes and coached Little League.
He married Rita Bushnell Schmidt on Sept. 22, 1990. Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife Rita of Cove; three sons, Doug Taylor of Cove, Jack Dalton of Granger, Washington, and Allen Lee of Deer Trail, Colorado; three daughters, Sue Taylor of Ronan, Montana, Theresa Ziaee of Yelm, Washington, and Fonda Timm of La Grande; two sisters, Rose Strenke of Lake Oswego, and June Cutshall of Tigard; seven stepdaughters, Cindy Witke of Grand Rapids, Mich., Laurie Gray of Pottsboro, Texas, Valorie Gutirrez of Riverside, California, Ronda Carter of Comstock Park, Mich., Vicki Bramblett of Wolfforth, Texas, Monette Howell of Hillsboro and Mischelle Huff of Grand Rapids, Mich.; two step sons, Ken Fuller of Wolfforth, Texas, and Doug Fuller of Ontario; 36 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mr. Taylor was preceded in death by four brothers, Bill, Denver, Mick and Lyle; two sisters, Coena and Rowena; a son, Don Dalton; and a grandson, Brain Carter.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Walter Taylor Memorial Fund or to a charity of one’s choice.
Source: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, March 2001
Contributed by: Belva Ticknor