LaVerne Anna Taylor

LaVerne Anna “Wright” Taylor passed away from this life on Sunday, April 8th at 2:00 p.m. at Phil and Flo Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, AR at the age of 93.  She was born May 7, 1924 to the late Hezekiah Buren and Mary “Ferguson” Wright on the Wright homeplace 6 miles northwest of Marmaduke, AR in Greene County.  She left the Marmaduke area in 1943 when she was 19 years old and moved to Flint, Michigan and worked at the AC Delco factory which made war parts for airplanes and submarines during WWII.  She was a “Rosie Riveter” during this time.  Afterwards, she resided in Bakersfield, CA, Dayton, Ohio, and then in the late 1940’s, she moved back to Marmaduke, AR.  On December 8, 1958 she married our father, Jesse Leon Taylor in Lafe, AR and lived on the farm they had together east of Halliday, AR.  There, they raised four children:  Charles, Franklin, LaVaudry and LeRon.  They made their living raising peaches, strawberries, vegetables and pecans.  The fruit farm was very well known and people from all over Greene County would come to the farm to buy fruit and produce.  Our mother was a common sight selling peaches, strawberries and produce on Pruett Street in Paragould, AR for many years from 1959 to early 1990’s.  She was a very hard worker and homemaker and was known and loved by all who knew her and was a very sweet, precious lady who had a “heart of gold”.  Her husband, (our father) also grew cotton, soybeans, and milo. Mom accepted the Lord at the age of 16 and was baptized in Elvis Wright’s pond.  She was a member of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Lafe, AR for 32 years.  She was the grand-daughter of Hezekiah Barr Wright who along with his parents, John and Sarah, came to Marmaduke, AR from Centerville, Tennessee in the year 1852. He was one of the first settlers near Marmaduke. He also was the first Charter member of Providence Missionary Baptist Church.  In her later years, she enjoyed putting puzzles together at the library with her son, Leron, and Dr. Laird.

She was preceded in death 30 years earlier by her husband, Jesse Leon Taylor.  Also preceded in death were parents, Hezekiah Buren and Mary “Ferguson” Wright, half-brother Leonard Wright, brother, Armond Wright, three sisters: Willodean “Wright” Park, Dorothy “Wright” Prevett and Audry “Wright” Richardson.  

She is survived by three sons:  Charles Schunk, Jr. of Paragould, AR, Franklin Taylor and wife Miranda of Springdale, AR, LeRon Taylor of Paragould, AR, one daughter, LaVaudry “Taylor” Wyatt and husband Tony of Marmaduke, AR.  Also survived by seven grand-children: Ariel “Wyatt” Fielder, Arianna “Wyatt” Wayer, Lyndsi “Taylor” Sluyter, Krystopher Taylor, Brian Kilpatrick, Bradley Ames-Lovett, Breanna Keely Ames-Lovett.  Ten great-grand-children: Nathan, Kennedy, Kyle, Timothy, Gabriel, Elijah, Kenneth (Bo), Leif, Thatcher, Forest, and a host of family and friends.

The family will receive friends Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Phillips Funeral Home.  The funeral service will be Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Providence Missionary Baptist Church with Gary Morris and Eddie Gene Wright officiating.

Mitch Sluyter, Krystopher Taylor, Cody Fielder, Kenny Pugh, Jeff Phillips, and Doug Park will serve as pallbearers.  Charles Schunk, Jr.,  LeRon Taylor, Franklin Taylor, Tony Wyatt, Brian Kilpatrick, Bradley Ames-Lovett, Joseph Wayer, and Bob Lee will serve as honorary pallbearers.

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