Jean Gordon Taylor

Jean Gordon Taylor 85, passed away August 10, 2014 after a 3 year struggle with dementia.
She was born in Thruston September 22, 1928, the only child of the late Durward B. ''Dude'' and Edna Hector Gordon.

During childhood her playground was the Old Hector Grocery store in Thruston ran by her parents and maternal grandmother.

She attended Thruston School for 8 years and graduated from Daviess County High (now Daviess County Middle School) in 1946. While in school, she was active in the band and pep band, playing at school sporting events. She especially enjoyed basketball and would reminisce humorously about playing ''The Old Grey Mare, She Ain't What She Used To Be'' whenever County High would beat their cross-town rival Owensboro Senior High.

Shortly after graduation from high school, she started working at the telephone company as a switchboard operator. This was the beginning of a career that would span more than 38 years.

After retirement she was a volunteer at Heartland Villa Nursing home for many years.

She met her future husband Joseph W. ''Joe'' Taylor at the 9th Street Tobacco Warehouse Skating Rink. They ran off to Springfield, Tennessee to get married on April 21, 1951 paying the Judge with dimes they had saved. They kept their marriage a secret and lived separate lives for 6 weeks until the couple that stood up with them told.

Jean and Joe spent over 47 years together until his passing on January 20, 1999.

They loved camping and boating, spending many enjoyable times at Rough River and Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains. Jean never lost her love for basketball and was a big U.K. fan. She loved Chihuahua's and had several over the years. She also enjoyed carousels and Christmas time.

Until dementia forced her into assisted living, she had lived in Thruston the vast majority of her life within sight of the house where she was born.

Jean is survived by her only child, Joseph B. ''Joey'' Taylor and his wife Rhonda of Henderson County, one brother-in-law, Gene Taylor and his wife Eula of Lewisport, and a very special step-great-granddaughter, Jaclyn Goss, whom she helped keep from the time she was 6 weeks old until she completed 1st grade. They shared some special and memorable times. Several cousins also survive.
Jean was a devoted wife and loving Mother. She may not have had a large family, but she had a large circle of friends who were like family.

Jean has some deep roots in Hancock County as her great-great grandparents came from Shepherdsville, KY by flatboat down the Salt River to the Ohio, and down the Ohio to Hancock County in 1828.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of flowers or donations to the donor's favorite charity.

A funeral service for Jean will be held at 2 pm Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Visitation will be from 2 until 8 pm on Monday and after 10 on Tuesday. Entombment will follow at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.