Mr. Archie J. Taylor

He lived his early years on his parents farm with his two sisters, Ilene and Doris and his brother Donnie Joe. He helped his dad on the farm with plowing, harvesting, gardening, raising livestock, and selling eggs and cream to earn an income during the depression. He worked at the Cheyenne Valley School, every morning during the winter, lighting stoves and cleaning. He became a star basketball player for the Cheyenne Valley High School, and many people in the community would travel to other towns just to see him play.

After high school graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 3, 1943. While stationed in Seething, England, he became a waist gunner in the B-24 Liberator. His military accomplishments included flying 30 missions over enemy occupied Europe. He participated in 5 major battles. He was in the 8th Air Force, and the 448 Bombardment Group. He was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Citation of Valor, 2 Citations of Commendations by General Timberlake, an ETO ribbon with 4 Battle Stars, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His B-24 Liberator crew led the 448 Bombardment Group in the successful bombing attack on Worms, Germany, on January 13, 1945. Staff Sergeant Taylor was discharged from military service on October 24, 1945, he returned to Oklahoma, enrolling in Phillips University in Enid, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and coaching basketball.

He married Dora Mae Lancaster on June 5, 1949. In 1951 they welcomed their daughter Nancy, and in 1955, son Dennis, whom they were blessed with for two months, and he is buried in Enid. After teaching and coaching for a few years, the family returned to Enid, with Dora teaching and Archie earning a Master’s in Theology. Together they taught and served churches in Arkansas and New Mexico. In Santa Fe, he conducted fund raising for the new First Christian Church to establish a building 1962. In 1963, the family moved to Stillwater, so that Dora could earn a Master’s in counseling, and Archie, following his calling to lead Western Oaks Christian Church, in fund raising to establish a new building. While in Stillwater Archie and Dora bought a small farm and taught in schools nearby. After a few years, they separated and sold the farm and Archie moved to the northeast part of the state.

A few years later, he moved to the state of Washington and remarried. He enjoyed the beautiful scenery there and life with Mary. After Mary’s death, he returned to Norman Oklahoma to be near his daughter.

He resided at the Rivermont Independent Living Center for several years and enjoyed gardening, listening to music, and classic movies. After several years of struggling with poor health, an injury that was troublesome, he left this world to be with our Lord n Heaven on Tuesday, December 30, 2014, at 1:30 a.m.

He will be greatly missed by his daughter Nancy (Mark), first wife Dora, sister Doris, niece Sherry and her children Todd, Jamie, Michelle; niece Pam (Ken) and her daughter Jessica and her children, sister-in-law Toni Taylor and her children Kirk (Paula), Scott (Missy) and Traci (Danny). His brother Joe, spouse of Toni Taylor, also left this world on December 30, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.—the same exact day.