Glenda Lee (Koch) Taylor

Glenda Lee Koch Taylor was born to Frederick “Fritz” Carl Koch and Hope Louise (Patton) Koch on December 13, 1933 near the Elk Community in rural Chase County, Kansas. She passed away at Wesley Hospital on May 23, 2024.

In her early childhood, Granddad lost their farm during the depression and the family moved to Florence, Kansas where mom spent her childhood. As a small girl she fondly remembered many trips to her grandparent’s farm where Granny Patton would devise games and contests for her and her three sisters. The girls also enjoyed playing with and riding their Uncle Marion and Uncle Chad like they were horses. Her parents were strong church members and at age 9 mom answered an alter call and gave her life to the Lord. She was baptized into the Florence Christian Church which started her on a lifelong journey of Christian service.

As mom progressed in school, she became involved in 4-H and girl scouts. She and her father had a huge garden one year as a 4-H project. One strong childhood school memory she had was the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the teacher put a pin in the globe showing where Florence was and a pin where Pearl Harbor was. She remembered that the distance looked very close and scary to an 8-year-old girl.

During her years at Florence High School, mom was actively involved in the student government but especially enjoyed singing in the chorus, playing the flute in the band as well as being a twirler. Granddad had a covered wagon and a team of oxen that he would take to parades and mom and her sisters would dress up as pioneer girls. At one event they met Hopalong Cassidy during which she got an autographed picture which she still possessed.

Shortly after graduation from Florence High School, the devastating flood of 1951 hit Florence. At the time, she worked at the local pharmacy but after significant damage from the flood she went to work at the Scully Estates office in Marion, eventually moving there and sharing an apartment with a friend. On a blind date she met Jack Taylor, our father and after many letters and phone calls they were married on April 24, 1954 in Corpus Christi, Texas at the naval base. After Dad’s discharge from the Navy, they moved to Albany, Missouri where their first child Sheryl was born prematurely in 1956 and the Lord took her home. They moved to El Dorado, Kansas where dad worked doing construction and oil field work. Their second child Bruce, was born in 1957 and a year later their third child, Gwendolyn was born but passed away shortly after birth. They then settled in Marion, Kansas where they had Bryan who was born in 1962.

Mom was an awesome and dedicated mother, always opening her home to our friends but was also a devoted wife to her husband. She had several causes that she believed in throughout our childhood. Both mom and dad were involved in the starting and building of Eastmoor Church and mom also served many years as a Sunday School teacher and church secretary.

In the early 1970’s, Marion and Florence decided to consolidate schools. She fought a long and hard battle to keep the Florence schools open, even convincing our dad to run for the school board but to no avail.

Mom was involved in cub scouts with us boys and also with the school PTA. They always attended our ballgames, programs and helped with our science fair projects and were always a big to support to us in whatever the endeavor happened to be.

Church and Christian living were a big part of their lives and mom literally took people to scores of doctor’s appointments, especially in the years they lived in Ellsworth and Sylvan Grove. Mom always had a heart for people in hardship and numerous times helped out people both financially and serving where they saw needs. She made countless meals for both family and friends.

She dearly loved her grandchildren, nieces and nephews and always made it fun for them when they would visit making each one feel special. That continued when she was made a great grandmother and just this year she was blessed with her first great-great grandchild.

In mom and dad’s later years they enjoyed several vacations and camping trips with friends. During the last years of dad’s life, she tirelessly took care of him. She also enjoyed her neighbors and friends in Marion as well trying to run the battery down on her phone almost every day talking with her sister Marylyn.

After dad’s death she experience some loneliness and often expressed that she was ready to go home. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jack, infant daughters Sheryl and Gwendolyn and sisters LuJean Krause and Loma Frederick. She is survived by her loving family of sons Bruce (Patty) Taylor of Lenexa, and Bryan (Tamara) Taylor of Galva; grandchildren Leslie (Trapper) Buettgenbach of McPherson, Erin (Krista Williams-Vohs) Williams-Vohs of Denver, Jordan (Adam) Greenhaw of Aurora, CO, Dani (Matthew) Calamari of New York City, Kaitlyn (Brandon) Johnson of Goessel, Clancy (Dana) Taylor of Canton, Crecia (Travis) Martin of Galva, Rebecca (Shae) Geisel of Galva and Chase Taylor of Washington, DC; great grandchildren Conner, Connor, Brayden, Ashlon, Tailynn, and Tate, great-great grandchild Cameron and sister Marylyn Blanding.