Edythe Priscella Taylor

Edythe Priscella Taylor was born on January 25, 1924, to Howard and Evelyn Wardell. She had an older brother, Jack, and three younger sisters: Ethel, Esther and Elaine. Her mother always worked at or owned restaurants, and so, as the oldest girl, Edythe was responsible to raise her younger siblings. That experience no doubt lead to the formation of her caregiving nature throughout her life. She became the matriarch of the family.

Edythe was a child of the Depression. Everyone was scrambling and working hard to survive at that time. Her mother always worked and Edythe worked in restaurants as well. After graduating from Sedro Woolley High School, Edythe set to work at the Bremerton Ship Yard. She worked at the shipyard all week and on Friday, she would take the ferry to Seattle and then ride the bus up to Sedro Woolley so that she could help her mother in the restaurant on the weekends. On Sundays, she would take the bus back down to Seattle and the ferry over to Bremerton.

It was at the shipyards that she met Basil Taylor, who was one year her senior. They married in 1944 and he joined the Army Air Corp. He was deployed to Iwo Jima, surely one of the bloodiest places in the Pacific Theater of the War. After the war, he returned and they moved to Hanford to work on the Nuclear Reservation Plant when it was first being built in the 1940s. He was an electrician. He continued his electrical work, going to Alaska and other places; often he was gone 6 months of the year.

They moved back to Arlington until Jack finished 7th grade and then they moved to Seattle, where Jack attended the 8th grade at Denny Junior High. Edythe was a stay-at-home mom.

When I asked Jack how Edythe was as a mom, he declared, “She was a great mom! She was always there for me. And she was took her job as mother very seriously. Family was the most important thing to Edythe.’

She was close with her sisters, and loved having family reunions. Her holiday to host was Thanksgiving. Her sister’s was Christmas in Sedro Woolley. Fourth of July was always a family tradition in Sedro Woolley, and they would get together at Easter. Dozens of people would show up for each gathering. It got to be so regular that each person knew exactly what to bring. Everyone knew their food assignment. Edythe was in charge of the baked goods and pies.

I asked Jack what his favorite dish was that Edythe made. One favorite was her pumpkin-mincemeat pie! She was so creative with her cooking. She cooked seafood. There was French cuisine.

And she was House proud. She lived in the family home in West Seattle for 58 years. That’s where she passed on May 25, 2021.

Edythe was very close to her sisters. And they all passed away over the last 7 or 8 years, Edythe being the last one.

Edythe will be remembered for picking up from her mother left off: as the matriarch of the family. She grounded the family. It will be very hard to replace her.

Edythe was preceded in death by her husband Basil Taylor (Everyone called him “Taylor”).

She leaves behind her beloved only child Jack Taylor.

And she is survived by her granddaughter Lauren (with Alex), and grandson Dan.

She also leaves behind her great-grandsons Taylor Sedgemore,

and Elijah Wing.

We are going to miss this woman Edythe, but we will treasure her memory deeply in our hearts, forever.