Clarence G & Mrs. Taylor

TAYLOR THOMPSON LANCASTER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 22:08:49

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Clarence G and Mrs Taylor
By Julie Taylor

Clarence Grant Taylor was born December 9, 1872, at Cincinnati, Ohio, son of George and Elizabeth Thompson Taylor. When he was two years old, his parents moved to Earlham, Iowa. In 1882 they moved to the Erb farm in Rutland Township, Woodbury County. He attended Rutland No. 2 rural school. His three sisters were: Ella ‘Mrs Melvin Bricker’ of Earlham, Iowa; Annie ‘Mrs Seth H Brown’ of Kingsley, Iowa; and Jessie ‘Mrs George Woods’ of Kingsley, Iowa. His parents purchased the northwest quarter, 138.5 acres, of Section 4, Rutland Township in 1891.

His wife, Elizabeth A ‘Lizzie’ Lancaster, was born November 2, 1877, at Low Moor, Iowa, daughter of Sarah Allwood Lancaster and John Lancaster. Clarence and Elizabeth were married on January 14, 1901, and they lived on the same farm all of their married life. They were noted for the great quantities of fruit grown. An acre of grapes planted in 1903 yielded as high as 11,000 pounds of grapes, some of which were peddled by wagon and team. Highest seasonal yields of fruit included thirty (30) cases of strawberries, one hundred (100) bushels of pears, two hundred seventy-five (275) bushes of apples and two hundred eighty (280) bushels of plums, plus acres of melons.

Clarence and Elizabeth had twelve children, eight of whom are still living.

Clifford was born May 24, 1901; married Gilberta Sandusky on February 8, 1928; parents of four children: Clarence, Robert, Gordon and Virginia; eleven grandchildren. He had been a mechanic at Everhart Motors in Moville, for many years.

Orren was born December 10, 1902; married Leota Mullikin on August 12, 1949; parents of three children, Bruce, Marilyn and Keith; three great grandchildren; they farmed at Kingsley, Iowa, and Verndale, Minnesota.

Alice was born June 12, 1905; graduated from Pierson, Iowa high school in 1925; taught in rural school in Plymouth and Woodbury counties.

Nellie was born October 10, 1906; married Ed Campbell on May 28, 1938; graduated from Pierson high school in 1925 and taught rural school in Plymouth County; they farmed at Kingsley, Iowa; and Coverport, Kentucky; parents of three children, Charles, Duane and Kenneth; six grandchildren.

George was born January 25, 1909, married Thelma Knudsen on December 20, 1933; parents of three children, Donna, Betty and George; eleven grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren; farmed in Plymouth County and was employed at a mat packing company in Sioux City, Iowa; he died April 8, 1962.

Edward was born March 27, 1910; married Alice Chase on November 13, 1944; parents of four children, Roger, Janice, Steven and Nancy; five grandchildren and one great grandchild; he farmed in Plymouth County; died September 23, 1963.

Harold was born June 20, 1912, and died July 5, 1913.

Victor was born June 27, 1914; graduated from Pierson high school in 1934; farmed in Plymouth and Woodbury Counties; noted for his horseshoe playing on a team with his brothers, George, Edward and Orren; he died September 15, 1981.

Pearl was born April 14, 1917; graduated Pierson high school in 1934; married William Linden on April 2, 1946; parents of two children, Norman and Grace; two grandchildren; lived in Odebolt and later Moville, Iowa.

Charles was born October 6, 1918; married Ann Lindgreen on September28, 1946; parents of four children, Ronald, Julie, Pamela and Kirk; four grandchildren; farmed in Plymouth and Woodbury counties and now retired.

Lloyd was born July 23, 1922; farmed in Plymouth and Woodbury Counties, and is the third generation to own the home place.

Four of the children, Edward, Charles, Victor and Lloyd, all served in the military during World War II, with Alice working at the Lockheed plant at Van Nuys, California, and Clifford at the shipyard at Portland, Washington, both helping in the war effort.

Elizabeth died March 9, 1956, and Clarence on October 6, 1960. Both are buried at Good Hope Cemetery in Union Township near Pierson.