Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor was born July 4, 1932 at Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the son of Tom and Marie Taylor. He passed from this life in the same home he was born, in Tahlequah Saturday, September 13, 2014 after reaching the age of 82.

While attending Bagley High School, he enlisted in the National Guard, Company M, and 279th Inf. Reg. 45th Div., based out of Tahlequah Armory. In 1950, his company was mobilized to Korea where he was a machine gunner for the Army. He received his draft card after arriving in South Korea. “I sent that back to them and told them they could keep it,” he said. He finished his senior year of high school in 1953, attended Okmulgee Trade School, worked as a structural designer for Phillips 66 in Bartlesville and for Stearns and Rogers Engineering Company in Denver. He married Wysalea Benson in 1957 and they raised one daughter, Cindy Gae Taylor. He married Lexy Loch in 1973. Together they worked as General Contractors in Farmington NM. Later Bill and Lexy purchased his family’s farm in Tahlequah and they took Alex Loch, Lexy’s nephew into their family. Bill was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans organizations and was Quartermaster at the local and district VFW Posts.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Leon, Lewis and John and sisters Ruby and Katie, nephew Wiley Taylor and niece Nita Mitchell. He is survived by his wife Lexy, his daughter Cindy (Taylor) Oney and husband Richard of Garrison, TX, son Alex Loch and wife Sarah, grandchildren Cassandra, Kyrie & Alan all of Springdale, AR, sisters Rachel Taylor, Elsie Ethridge and Mary Taylor all of Tulsa, and one brother Tommy Taylor of Tahlequah and numerous nephews and nieces.