Alethea Taylor

Alethea Mae Taylor of Bethune, CO, was born on March 1, 1919 in Unadilla Village near Syracuse, Nebraska, to Harold D. and Francis Ann Godfrey. She passed away in the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Goodland, Kansas on October 26, 2005, at the age of 86. On April 8, 1920, Alethea’s parents, by team and wagon, moved to Kit Carson County (near Stratton, CO), where they homesteaded. Shortly thereafter in 1923, Francis, her mother lost her husband, and later in 1926 she married Pearl Jesse Wood whom adopted Alethea, and in that marriage two more daughters were born, Dixie and Peggy. All of the children were graduates of Bethune High School. Alethea attended First Central High School southwest of Bethune for her first three years of high school, where she met her husband to be Vaughn Taylor. Alethea was known by her friends as Ike. Her senior year, she attended the class of 1937 of Bethune High School, which was the school’s first twelve year graduating class. Alethea married Vaughn Taylor on August 29, 1938. They continued to reside in Bethune, and to this union were born four children; Verlin, Charlene, Arthur and Linda. Vaughn and Alethea bough their first home in Bethune in 1944, where they lived for 60 years. The property was big enough to have milk cows, chickens and of course a large garden. Alethea spent her first 20 years of marriage as a homemaker, a large job raising four children, and gardening that brought canning. They raised and butchered all their own meat, and raised milk cows and chickens to provide their milk, cream and eggs; which they sold for market also. Alethea in that time made a great deal of the family clothes. In the early 1960’s, Alethea started working for Montgomery Ward Catalogue Store in Burlington, where she later worked up to assistant manager of the store until the early 1970’s when the store was closed. After the children left home, Alethea and Vaughn had the opportunity to travel to a number of countries. After Vaughn’s retirement from the Barber Shop in Burlington, they spent a great deal of time together farming their dry-land wheat, plus their large yard of grass, flowers and garden. The relationship and home was broken on August 10, 1997, when Vaughn passed away. Alethea was instructed in faith and was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. She saw that all her family was baptized and was active in a women’s Bible study and a number of community clubs. She also served a number of years as Secretary for the Town of Bethune. A number of close friends, family and both sisters passed on before Alethea, though she leaves several nieces and nephews; her son Verlin of Burlington, a daughter Charlene and her husband Richard Robinson and a son Arthur all of Phoenix, Arizona, and a daughter Linda and her husband Delvin Barnhart also of Burlington. Also surviving are Alethea’s eight grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Funeral Services for Mrs. Taylor were held on Monday, October 31, 2005 at the 1st St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Burlington, with Pastor Jeff Hanson officiating. Casketbearers were grandsons Brian and Byron Robinson, Douglas Barnhart, Gregory Taylor, Shea Mirales, and a great grandson Ryan Parker. Honorary Casketbearers were Roland Smith, Ray Jones, Norman Kramer, Jere King, Justin Stephens and Kenneth Yersin. Kennedy Stegman performed two musical selections; “How Great Thou Art� and “One Day at a Time.� Interment was held in the Fairview Cemetery in Burlington, where Alethea was laid to rest next to her husband and her closest friend Vaughn. Memorials may be made in Alethea’s name to the Dynamic Dimensions and may be left at the Bank of Burlington, Burlington, Colorado.