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The estate of JOHN TAYLOR was divided and disbursed after his death in the autumn of 1888. His widow, Nancy, soon moved back to her nearby homestead. In the spring of 1889, William Wyman brought his family from Beaver Falls, PA, to live on his mother's farm. Her son George had earlier been living at Lincoln. George would become known very well in New Castle, PA, serving as a police officer assigned to the Diamond, now known as Kennedy Square. In later life, Nancy resided for some time with her son Frank Wyman and his wife, Anna. Nancy passed away on Saturday, April 2, 1927, at the Kansas farm home of her daughter, Hattie, just south of Republican City, NE. At the time, George Wyman lived at New Castle, PA, William was at Morrowville, KS, Frank was at Berkeley, CA, and Edmond Taylor was at Table Rock. JOHN's brother Robert retired before the end of the 19th century, and moved with his wife, Isabelle, to a house on Grand Street in Pawnee City. They gave the family farm to their only surviving child, although Jennie and her farmer-banker husband were probably raising their children in their own home perhaps in Table Rock. The immigrant Robert spent his remaining years in Pawnee City, living until 1900. His widow, Isabelle, moved in with her daughter, Jennie, at Table Rock and lived until 1911. Jennie Isabelle Miller became a widow herself in 1907, and she lived until 1927. JOHN's brother Andrew and his wife, Elizabeth, remained in the community adjacent to the Kansas state line. They farmed in the southern part of Pawnee county and in the northern part of Nemaha county, KS, until Andy's death in 1910. Elizabeth passed away during 1920 in Florida at her daughter's Miami home. Andy and Elizabeth had nine children: Robena, Mary Elizabeth, Letissa, John, Robert, Wallace, Agnes, Nancy Belle, and Ina. JOHN's brother James was probably still living in Iowa with his wife, Mary, sister of Robert's wife, Isabelle. The James Taylor family had a few daughters, but probably no surviving sons. The 1888 status of JOHN's brother William is unknown to me, but it is possible that he may have been living in Kentucky. Whether he had offspring is not known to me. JOHN's only full-sister, Mary, lived in Orkney with her step-mother, Elspeth (Sclater) Taylor, and her half-sister Robina until at least 1871. Mary's status is unknown afterward. JOHN's half-sister, Robina, married John Hay and lived at Myre; but her husband would die sometime between 1881 and 1891. JOHN's step-mother, Elspeth, lived with Robina and John Hay, and probably died during that same period of the 1880's when her son-in-law expired. No information is presently available to reveal whether Mary or Robina had offspring. Hattie Hay Taylor married Everette M. Pangburn in 1903, and later lived in Kansas near Republican City, NE. It was at the Pangburn home where Hattie's mother, Nancy, passed away in early 1927. The Pangburn family had four children, Francis Max, William Taylor, Edna Marian, and Roberta Elizabeth. Edmond Dallas Taylor married schoolteacher Avis Dopp, and both later went to work in Will Taylor's Table Rock merchandise store before going into farming. The couple remained in the Table Rock community the rest of their lives. Ed passed away in 1947, and Avis in 1975. They had two children, Lester and Alice. William Lindsay Taylor started into the retail business in Table Rock after his father's death. Earlier he had farmed and operated a livery service. Will and his wife, Minnie, eventually moved to Carterville, MO, living there until his death on Sunday, February 13, 1927. The widow Minnie moved back to Table Rock, where she later passed away in early 1937, a week and a day beyond the 10th anniversary of her husband's death. They had no children. Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, Arthur Johnston, farmed before settling in Pawnee City some years later. After Arthur's death, Lizzie remained in their Pawnee City home where she lived until 1935. They had no children. JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR married MARY IVA SHAFFER in 1889. The couple lived with his stepmother, Nancy, and later the TAYLOR family moved to Kansas. They had eight children, May, Walter, Merle, Florence, William, Frank, DOYLE, and Ray. IVY passed away in 1911, and JOHN lived until 1944. Robert Wishart Taylor retained the original family farm and married Harriet Elizabeth Carmichael in 1894. In 1919, they discontinued farming and moved into Pawnee City. Lizzie lived until 1939, and Rob passed away in 1945. Their only surviving son, Virgil Vernon Taylor, inherited the old homestead near Table Rock. The original TAYLOR farm no longer remained in the ownership of any Taylor family member after Virgil's death in the late 1960's. The two large structures, the stone house and the big barn, were both demolished in the late 1970's. The story of John Taylor's life and his marriages with Mary Wishart and Nancy Kerns is over. It was a tale about opportunities presented, setbacks encountered, and achievements attained while they pursued success in their own fashion. It was a report about happiness and sadness, growing up, uprooting and relocating, strife of war, blacksmithing, coal-mining, homesteading, farming, worship, love, marriage, birth, illness, death, parenting, homemaking, and community life of a time forever entombed in the depth of history. During these present times in the closing years of 20th-century Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, the family name is being carried on principally by the lines of John Thomas Taylor, son of Mary (Wishart), and lines of Edmond Dallas Taylor, son of Nancy (Kerns). James, Robert, Magnus, William, and Andrew Taylor were John's brothers who emigrated to America in the mid-1800's; but only Robert and Andrew ended up with John in Nebraska. Robert left no surviving sons, and Andrew's male offspring spread to other areas of the U. S. No present-day descendant with the Taylor name is known to have come from the remaining brothers. Neither James, Magnus, nor John's two older sons, William and Robert, produced a descendant bearing the family name today. Nothing is known of any children from John's brother William. But with or without the family name during the past century and a half, a varied assortment of individuals have inescapably been designated bearers of the bloodlines, genetic heirs of those earlier pioneers, while becoming recipients of the vestiges of that previous culture. The question "Are John's, Mary's, and Nancy's lifetimes of any significant importance today?" would probably provoke a unique and different response from each of their living descendants. Certain characteristics in the lives of 20th-century farmers, merchants, homemakers, teachers, students, soldiers, sailors, marines, engineers, aviators, mechanics, painters, carpenters, builders, barbers, beauticians, government workers, service workers, utilities workers, factory workers, journalists, entertainers, artists, managers, secretaries, and clerks born in middle-America were previously effected due to the decisions and deeds of their Pawnee county forebears. By utilizing the same free agency of choice and action, the descendants of John, Mary, and Nancy have also indelibly inscribed their own histories upon the pages of time, providing a legacy for others yet to come. Such numerous extractions are provided in this writing that it becomes very difficult to list their multiple origins specifically and individually, lest the bibliography take up the predominant portion of this book. Individual pieces of information incorporated into the biography were discovered from the Atlantic to the Pacific, literally from coast to coast. A great deal of background comes from common historical knowledge of the times and conditions, readily found in various publications. Public records were searched in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Many places described in the writing, including the port of entry, New York harbor, and every midwestern location was visited for close-up study; and available photographs of those sites were also examined. Other facts were revealed in old extant documentation and from conversations with various persons. Naming entire sources specifically is nearly impossible; therefore, a summary of the foremost ones is presented here: Lisa Stalnaker LuAna Drake Craig Ken Wyman Jane Day Michael R. Veach Gwen Robinson Lynn Penoyer Meg Greenwood Leslie Gries Irish McCalla Walt Custer Sigurd Towrie Duane and Karla Taylor Ann (Shephard) Hansen Beverly (Ayers) Shephard Bertilla (Taylor) Ayers Stanley Hess Nancy Alonge Leota Thurston Claribel Phillips Mrs. Donald Wishart Tom Whitney Jacolyn Jene Hodge Roberta (Pangburn) Hodge May (Dishon) Brooks Margaret (Wyman) Fisher Alice (Taylor) Covault Avis (Dopp) Taylor Elaine (Taylor) Mick Rose (Burkhardt) Wishart Doyle and Laura (Henneberg) Taylor Research Library National Archives, Washington, DC Newspaper Room, Microfilm Room Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS Newspapers and Microfilm Room Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, NE Dewberry Library, Chicago, IL Missouri Valley Room Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO Kansas Room Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, Kansas City, KS Latter Day Saints Genealogical Research Rooms Kansas City, MO Kansas City, KS University of Kansas The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY 18th century passenger lists of ships entering the port of New York Census, land grant, and LDS church records Notes of Hattie Hay (Taylor) Pangburn Writings of Harold Frederick "Fred" Wishart Contemporary photographs and letters of correspondence Various maps, newspapers, and books Gravestones Marriage licenses and wedding certificates |
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