Garland Taylor
December 07, 1930 - May 20, 2018
Garland Taylor, age 87, of Cache passed away Sunday, May 20, 2018 at his residence.
Garland was born December 7, 1930 in Hugoton, Kansas to Guy Everett Taylor and Dolly Hopper Taylor. Garland went to elementary through high school in Sharon, Oklahoma, where he participated in many organizations clubs and sports with basketball being his favorite. While planning to go to college he worked as an Auto Mechanic before he was enlisted in the Army and served from June 15, 1951 to March 18, 1953. He served in the Korean War in the 7th. MP Co. 7th inf. Div. APO7, turning 21 while in Korea. He attended Panhandle A&M in Goodwell Oklahoma and transferred to Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater, graduating with a BSA. After graduating college, he got a job as a Soil Conservationist in Hugoton Kansas. He was a Vo- Ag Teacher at Balko, Canton & Fairview OK. He married Belva Link McElroy in 1971 in Seiling, OK. While teaching during the summer he was a Custom Harvester, he and the family traveled all over Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, cutting wheat, milo & barley. When he was an Ag Teacher, his FFA Boys placed at the State Level for Livestock, Meat Judging and Speech. Six of his Ag members of the Fairview FFA beat the 1957 record of the Coveted State Farmer Degree. He also judged several Livestock Shows, Meat Judging and Speech Contest. He was known as Rattlesnake Taylor, when he taught in Canton, for killing a 44-inch diamond back rattler with ten rattles and a button. He also gave demonstrations, using live snakes, to groups of local farmers on how to catch and kill rattlesnakes. He retired from teaching in 1979 after being contacted by Lawton Coop because they were looking for a Soil Conservationist. They contacted the OSU Ext. Office asking them who they would recommend and immediately they said "Garland Taylor." Even after all those years they thought he was the best man for the job. He and his family moved to Cache and sadly that job ended within the year due to government funding. From there he and his wife started and operated T&T Trucking. He would get a kick out of everyone's faces at the Weight Stations and Coops when his petite wife would get out of the big rig she was driving. In 1982, they moved to Orienta, OK where he worked for Nichols Casing as a Company Man. He also worked in the Oil Field as a Floor Hand before he was offered his dream job in 1984 working as a Foreman on one of the many Chain Ranches at the Lenora Ranch. He and his wife worked side by side for twenty-five years, enjoying life with their kids and grandkids and all that the ranch had to offer until he retired due to his declining health. They moved back to Cache in 2009 to be closer to family. Garland was a member of the FFA Association, Oklahoma Hereford Association, The Cattleman's Association, Rotary Club & Lion's Club & National Vocational Agriculture Teacher's Association. He had many hobbies including water skiing, swimming, horseback riding, fishing, watching boxing, basketball and football. Garland accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of seven. He renewed his relationship later in life and then realized how the Lord had blessed him, walked with him and sometimes carried him throughout his whole life. Garland will be most remembered for being a loving husband, dad, grandpa, great grandpa, son, brother, teacher, rancher and friend.
Preceded in death by his grandparents Grandpa & Grandma Hopper, Grandpa & Grandma Taylor; his mother Dolly (Hopper) Taylor; his father Guy E. Taylor & wife Wilma J. Taylor; his sister, Linda (Taylor) Cole; his daughters, Gayla (Taylor) Cox and Patti Taylor and his first wife, Patrica Mae (Parker) Taylor, Garland is survived by his wife, Belva Taylor of Cache, OK; his daughters, Kim and her husband Mike Cargill of Cache, OK; Darla and her husband Luther Pierce of Tuttle, OK; his son, Meredith and his wife Shelli Chipman of Yukon, OK; his brother, G.W. and his wife Bobbie Taylor of Woodward, OK; his sisters, Sonya Williams of Jones, OK, Trula Stevens and her husband Mike of Alva, OK; fifteen grand-kids; thirty-nine great grand-kids and several nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
A Celebration of Life for Garland Elwin Taylor will be at 11:00 AM Friday, June 1, 2018 at Whinery Huddleston Funeral Service Chapel in Lawton, inurnment will follow at Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin.
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