Mary E. Tayer

In 1947 Mary made her way across the country and started a life in Washington State, initially working at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. While working there she met Raymond Tayer and they were married on February 21, 1953, in Yakima WA. They had been married 64 years when he passed in 2017.

Mary and Ray owned a small apple orchard in Selah, WA where they raised their family. Mary worked for the Washington Hop Commission from 1969 until she retired in 1985. She was an active member of the Selah United Methodist Church, where Mary had many good friends. She served as membership secretary, office secretary and president of the Selah chapter of United Methodist Women, as well as serving on the church’s administrative council. The pies she baked for bake sales and dessert auctions were legendary. Mary was a long-time member of Selah American Legion Post 88 Auxiliary and Selah Friendship Guild.

Mary enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening, knitting and reading. She was also an avid outdoors woman, spending time fishing, camping, and picnicking with her family. She regularly walked the hill next to their orchard until they moved from the farm into town and then began walking on the Yakima Greenway.

Mary is survived by her three children and their spouses Jeff Tayer (Betsy), Becky Johnson (Ron) and Janet Warr (Marty); seven grandchildren: Sara, Jessica, Nick, Emily, Zak, A.J. and Samantha and two great grandchildren: Boston and Wyatt.

The family would like to thank the staff of Deer Ridge Memory Care in Puyallup, where she lived the past 16 months as well as the staff at Blossom Place in Yakima, where she lived for over five years; she received excellent, loving care in both of these communities.

Viewing will be at Keith and Keith Funeral Homes, 903 W Yakima Ave, from 4:00 to 8:00 on March 31. A memorial service will be held on April 1 at 2:00 pm at Selah United Methodist Church, 1061 Selah Loop Road, Selah. The service will be live streamed on Zoom and can be watched using the following link/meeting ID: https://greaternw.zoom.us/j/692949701?wd=LzlNSWYyT1BGUzNhVHc0ME9ydnBLQT09

Meeting ID: 692 949 701 Password: 021416

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Selah United Methodist Church.