Utah's pioneer undertaker, and the sexton of Salt Lake City for nearly a quarter of a century.

Son of George Edward Grove Taylor and Ann Wicks

Married Louisa Rebecca Capener, 25 Sep 1853, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Jane Maria Capener, 9 Jul 1875, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Lisadore Williams, 11 Oct 1876, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Clara Ann Sudbury, 1 Apr 1884, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Harriet Arabella Woolley, 5 Sep 1889, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

By his plural wives he had twenty two children.

History - Joseph Edward Taylor was born at Horsham, Sussex County, England. He took passage on board the ship "Ellen," which left Liverpool Jan. 8, 1851. He arrived in St. Louis, Mo., in the latter part of March. He remained in that city until the spring of 1852, having been prostrated by sickness nine months of the time; left Winter Quarters June 12th, in company No. 4 (Captain Joseph Outhouse) and arrived in Great Salt Lake valley Sept. 6th of that year.

Dec. 22, 1875, he was called by Pres. Brigham Young to go on a mission to the States of Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, to labor among the Josephites and others who had succeeded from the Church.

While upon this mission Elder Taylor paid a personal visit to Emma Smith, widow of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was residing in the Mansion house in Nauvoo at that time with her husband, Lewis C. Bidaman, to whom she was married some time after Joseph's death. Elder Taylor's object in making this visit was to learn from Emma's own lips some things in relation to the "Reorganized church," which was presided over by her oldest son Joseph.

He has always been prominent in sustaining the institutions in Zion, which have for their object the advancement of the people. This has been exhibited by him in a very marked manner in relation to Church schools and especially in regard to the L. D. S. University, formerly the L. D. S. College, in Salt Lake City. When it seemed impossible to longer maintain the college, he personally undertook the task of raising means for its support, for he had expressed himself as believing that the Lord would be displeased with the Saints if they discontinued it. In his effort he was eminently successful.

In 1863, he started his business of undertaker, embalmer and funeral director; also the manufacturing of funeral supplies. During a period of forty years, Mr. Taylor furnished the necessary outfits and prepared the bodies of over twenty thousand persons for burial. He also preached many funeral sermons.

He was appointed sexton by the City Council in 1864. He continued in that office until 1890. He was the leading undertaker for fifty years, having the largest and most complete establishment of the kind in Utah. The factory where the caskets were made gave employment to several men and was one of the best appointed and most extensive in the whole country. The office and factory were situated at 257 East 1st South, Salt Lake City, near the Taylor family home. The caskets were made of pinewood, lined with bleach and cotton.

Biography of Joseph Edward Taylor