TAYLOR, Dean 1878 – 1943
TAYLOR, MINNELEY
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 2/28/2011 at 20:02:38
“The Fairfield (Ia.) Daily Ledger”
Friday, September 24, 1943
Pages 1 and 5DEATH COMES TO TAYLOR AT ROCHESTER
Editor of Ledger passed away after six weeks illness
Death came to Dean TAYLOR, for 37 years a Fairfield editor and for the past thirteen years editor of the Daily Ledger, at St. Mary’s hospital in Rochester, Minn. last night at 10:45.
He had undergone an operation on September 11 after being under observation and treatment at the hospital for four weeks before that time. He had appeared to be rallying from the operation until last Saturday when his condition began to give concern to the family and attending physicians. By Tuesday evening the doctors held out no hope for his recovery. His wife had been with him from the time he arrived at the hospital and his older son, Ben, went to his bedside Sunday night. On Tuesday his younger son, James, was summoned from MacDill Field, Tampa, Fla. where he is a corporal in the air force. He arrived at his father’s bedside before death came.
Mr. TAYLOR was born at Warren, Ohio on October 8, 1878, the son of Benjamin J. TAYLOR. He came from a long line of newspaper men. The forbears of the TAYLOR family had owned the Warren, Ohio Chronicle since 1818.
He graduated from Mt. Union college in 1901, received the degree of Ph. B from that school in 1902. In 1903 he attended Harvard University. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was very active in its councils for several years after his graduation from college and was the author of that organization’s revision report in 1910.
On October 2, 1906 he married Jessie MINNELEY of Meadville, Pa. Besides his wife he is survived by two sons Ben J. TAYLOR who is in service at MacDill Field, Tampa, Fla. and whose home before the service was at Audubon.
His newspaper career started in his undergraduate days on the Warren, Ohio Chronicle. From 1903 to 1905 he was employed on newspapers at Lorain and Alliance, Ohio. In 1905 and 1906 he was owner of half interest in the Elyria, Ohio Reporter. In 1906 he and his father came to Fairfield and purchased the Daily Journal which they published until its consolidation with the Ledger in 1921. After continuing as editor of the consolidated newspapers for a short time he was appointed Postmaster and served until 1930. Since that date he has served as editor of the Ledger in which he owned an interest.
For many years he has been very active in the affairs of the Methodist church. He was not only one of the most active lay members of the Fairfield congregation but stood high in the national councils of the church. He was a delegate to the general conference of that church in 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1940. He had been elected a delegate to attend the conference again next year.
He was the author of the Aldersgate Call and New Day, publication of the Methodist church in 1937 and the history of Fairfield Methodism which was published in 1940. He also took a deep interest in geneological (sic) matters and published several pamphlets on the families of the family forbears. Among his hobbies was the compiling of data from original sources on Lincoln and he was widely known among the collectors of Lincolnia. He had been a trustee of Iowa Wesleyan college since 1934.
During both world war I and the present war he had been very active in home front affairs. In the first war he was a member of the Jefferson county price interpreting committee and chairman of the Salvation Army drive. Last year he was chairman of the USO drive in Jefferson county and completed the work when his physical condition was not good. It is certain that the overtaxing of his strength at that time contributed to the breaking of his health. This year he again accepted the chairmanship but was forced to insist that his services be in an advisory capacity as he knew that he would not have the strength to carry the responsibility alone.
He was a member of the Lions, The Masonic Lodge, O. E. S. and Walton club. He was one of the early enthusiasts for the development of Walton Lake into a recreation area.
During his entire lifetime he had been active in political matters and had several times represented the county at state Republican conventions. He was county central committee chairman from 1918 to 1921 and set up the first organization in the county for the gaining of suffrage for women.
Members of the family started back to Fairfield with the remains this morning and will arrive late today. The time of the funeral will not be determined until they reach home and word is received from relatives who live at a distance.
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
Note: Dean’s wife Jessie died in 1966, and they are buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, in Lot 3rd.056.
Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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