Catherine V. Taylor 88 died of pneumonia at the home of her daughter Mrs D C Van Voorhis in What Cheer, Iowa.

The lady came to Mahaska Co. about 1855 and made her home in Barnes City the greater part of the time.

She is survived by four sons; Vincent of California, Zack of Oklahoma, Phillip D. of Kansas and William D Taylor Oskaloosa, Iowa and five daughters; Rachel Van Voorhis, Martha McSpadden of What Cheer, Iowa, Mary Lough of Rook County, Kansas, Sarah Melissa Lough of Seattle, Washington and Rebecca Garnett of Macon City, Missouri.

Funeral services Tues. Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at Barnes City. Interment in Boswell Cemetery.

Catherine V. Taylor was born September 15, 1820 in Mercer County, Kentucky. Her parents moved to Parke County, Indiana in 1821.

She was married to Phillip D. Taylor on January 3, 1839 in Parke, Indiana. To this union she was blessed with twelve children, three of whom have preceded her to the Great Beyond. The children living are located as follows: W. D. Taylor and Mrs. Rachel A. Vanvoorhis, Oskaloosa (Iowa), Mrs. Martha McSpadden, What Cheer; Mrs. D. C. Garnett, Macon Mo.; Mrs. Mary Lough and P. D. Taylor (Jr.), Kansas; Zack Taylor, Texas; Vincent B. Taylor, California: and Mrs. Melissa Lough, Seattle Washington.

She in company with her husband and family moved to Mahaska county, Iowa in 1854. She died in Oskaloosa at her daughter's home, January 20, 1908, at 4 a.m. having been sick only a few days.

She was a woman of strong constitution and was used to hard work, and lived to a good, ripe age, being 87 years, 4 months and 5 days old.

Prayer services were held at her daughter's home, conducted by Rev. Albert Broyles, Monday afternoon, January 20. The remains were shipped to Barnes City (formerly Agricola), Iowa, where the funeral services proper were held in the Christian church, January 21 at 3 pm. Rev. Reaves preaching the sermon. The choir sang, "Asleep in Jesus," "Jesus Lover of my Soul," and "Passing Down the Valley." A large concourse of people followed the remains to the Boswell cemetery where the body was interred near that of her husband. She was a member of the Old School Baptists, a true friend and a noble mother.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INTERVIEW OF CATHERINE V. TAYLOR FOR NEWS transcribed

As far back as I know of my ancestry, my grandfather, Lambert Darland, was born in Georgia in an early day and served in the Revolutionary War. I do not know the date, but he moved to Kentucky sometime shortly after the war. His son, Abraham Darland, my father, married Rebecca Reynolds in 1819. I was their oldest child and was born in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1820. My parents were members of the Old School Baptists.

In 1821 they moved to Parke County, Indiana, in a two-horse cart, entering land and locating twenty miles from a post office or mill.

There were no conveniences for schools for many years. At Rockville, ten miles away, I received my early education, which was quite meager, as I only attended a few summer terms of school. In this county and the adjoining ones, the red men were quite numerous but very peaceable and people lived and experienced the same troubles and hardships as other new countries of similar surroundings.

In 1839 I was married to Phillip D. Taylor, son of John Taylor, of the same vicinity where my parents resided.

We remained in Indiana living on a farm till 1854, when we moved to Iowa, locating on land near Agricola, now Barnes City, in Mahaska County, Iowa, where we began to clear out a farm and make a permanent home.

We were reasonably prosperous and enjoyed good health, except that my husband was troubled with heart disease. He was industrious and bought and paid for a good home, consisting of a 250-acre farm with fair buildings and well-stocked. On July 13th, 1866, my husband died of heart trouble while working in the field.

We were blessed with twelve children, seven daughters and five sons. One son and daughter have passed over the river of death and the other ten children are all married and doing for themselves.

In November 1868, I became a member of the Pleasant Grove Church of Mahaska County, Iowa and was baptized the same day with two others, and have been a member of the same church ever since my first connection.

After my husband's death, the two oldest sons took hold of the work and acted like men in providing and carrying on the business of the farm.

My children are now residing in different states of the Union, one in California, one in Washington, two in Missouri, two in Kansas and four in Iowa.

Contributor: Karen Johnsen (49046259) • [email protected]