Elinor Eurdine Taylor's Obituary
Elinor Taylor passed away suddenly on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Grand Haven, Michigan, surrounded by her family. She was born on June 11, 1920, and lived to celebrate 102 years of life.
She was born in Vickery, Ohio to John and Jessie Sims in her grandparents’ home. Her father was a teacher and then joined the Agricultural Extension Service at Michigan State College and later the Tennessee Valley Corporation. His work caused them to move frequently during her school years with stops in Hillsdale, Michigan, East Lansing, Michigan, New Albany, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio and back to Vickery, Ohio where she graduated from High School. During her family’s time in East Lansing, she often went to work with her father on Saturdays and would roller skate around Beaumont Tower while he worked. That led her to fall in love with Michigan State College, which is now Michigan State University, and she insisted on attending MSC. She was a top sorority athlete, graduated from MSC with a degree in dietetic and nutrition science and became a life-long Spartan. She also met the love of her life Mike Taylor at a Fraternity and Sorority mixer.
Elinor and Milton “Mike” Taylor became engaged and made plans to be married amid World War II. Mike was in ROTC, graduated as a Lieutenant and did advanced training with his unit in the south. Mike put in for three deployment locations and was hoping for an east coast deployment so they could be near each other during her residency in Philadelphia. That was not to be, and Mike was sent to San Diego, California along with his coastal anti-aircraft artillery unit. They then planned to be married in San Diego before his deployment to China. Everything was set for their wedding day - until there was a report of an enemy submarine off the coast. If not for a sympathetic sergeant, and a stroke of luck with locating the lost enemy sub, the wedding would not have happened the 3rd day of December 1942 at the home of a family friend. They first lived in San Diego and later moved to Georgia after Mike was promoted to Captain before he was deployed to China.
After the war, Elinor and Mike moved to his family farm in Sodus, Michigan. They started their family including son Michael and daughters Sharai and Laura. They grew a successful farm together. Later Elinor earned a teaching degree and had a successful career as an elementary school teacher in the Benton Harbor School District for almost 20 years.
When she and Mike retired from their careers, they started a cabin building project at Island Lake in the middle of the Hiawatha National Forest in Munising Michigan. That became their summer home, refuge for their busy family, and memory maker for legions of grandchildren and relatives. Elinor and Mike volunteered with the National Forest Service and were later named National Forest Service Volunteers of the Year.
Elinor was amazing in so many ways. She was an avid reader of espionage and mystery novels and had dozens of e-books on hold at the Library at any one time that she would read on one of her two Kindles. She introduced her daughter Sharai to James Bond films at the age of 12. She was an avid sports fan and was devoted to Michigan State University Football and Basketball. If there was a game on, she watched it. She knew the players, coaches, standings, and the competition. If the Spartans weren’t playing, she’d watch another Big 10 team to scout out the competition. She really got excited about the NCAA Basketball Final Four. When you watched a game with Elinor you knew who she was rooting for.
She lived an adventurous life and was always interested in new things. She traveled to China shortly after it opened to tourists. She owned the first pong video game in Berrien County, owned a Wii and was on Facebook from about day one. She went ziplining when she was 98. She toured Europe with friends. Elinor and Mike traveled to Australia and New Zealand twice where they made lasting friends that in turn visited them in America.
After Mike passed in 2004, Elinor moved to Spring Lake, Michigan in 2005 to be near her family and became a key member of her community. She was always engaged and was very engaging. She joined Spring Lake Presbyterian Church and was an avid member of the bible study group and exercise class. She led a group that made fleece blankets for LINUS to comfort children affected by trauma. She served on the Board of Liberty Woods, and at various times, edited their newsletter and managed their library.
Elinor was entertaining and an entertainer. She loved a good story and was an amazing storyteller who was in demand for special events. She thrilled persons at her 101st birthday party with a story of her journey through the time of her life. Even at her recent 102nd birthday party, Elinor recited a poem she had prepared for her family and friends.
She was present in every conversation and knew how to love deeply. Elinor was a mentor and life coach to her children, their spouses, her extended family, and her friends. A conversation with Elinor seemed to be able to fix almost anything. Elinor was ever-present at family events, grandchildren’s sporting events and most everything that mattered.
Elinor was known as “Simmie” to some after her maiden name, as mom, grandma, Great Grandma and Old Grandma. She was the loving leader of a family to which she kept welcoming new members by marriage and by friendship. She was an example to all.
Elinor is survived by daughters Sharai DeLong (Eric) and Laura Koscielniak (John), daughter-in-law Deborah Taylor, granddaughters Jennifer Osborn (Paul), Mary Seiffert (Daniel), Elizabeth Apostle (Michael) and Sarah Koscielniak (Lachlan Kennedy), and great grandchildren Alex, Carter, Meghan and Morgan, multiple loving nieces, and nephews, several grand nieces and nephews, and a legion of friends who are family. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Jessie Sims, brother Wilbur Sims, husband Milton Taylor, son Michael Taylor and special nephews Ron Taylor and John, David, and Steve Sims.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at The Spring Lake Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 213 East Savidge Street, Spring Lake, Michigan 49456.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 1, 2022, at Spring Lake Presbyterian Church 760 East Savidge Street, Spring Lake, Michigan. A visitation will also be available prior to the funeral service at 10:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow the service at noon.
Burial will be at Northshore Memory Gardens, 5027 M-63, Coloma, Michigan 49038 at 4:00PM Friday afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Project LINUS of Kent/Muskegon/Ottawa Counties, Spring Lake Presbyterian Church, or the Michigan Nature Association. Share memories with the family at their online guest book at www.sytsemafh.com.
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