Hazel A. Taylor

Hazel A Taylor was born in Oklahoma on July 17, 1925. She was one of 9 children, 5 girls and 4 boys. She was raised with Christian values and taught to work hard for what you wanted in life. She was saved in an old fashioned brush arbor meeting in Oklahoma at a young age. In her teenage years, she stayed with a family as a housekeeper so that she could continue her education and still work.

She met, fell in love, and married Kenneth Smith in her early 20's and moved to Vermont with him. After only a short stay in Vermont, she moved to California to be closer to her family. He soon followed her to California in the late 1940's, where they attempted to build a life together. Shortly after returning to California, Hazel met Jean McCain, and they soon became inseparable. They would become the best of friends and stay as close as sisters over the next 70 years. Although Kenneth and Hazel tried to make things work here in California, they split shortly after his arrival, and he moved back to Vermont. Soon after he left for Vermont she found out that she was expecting, and had a baby girl, Linda Jolene Smith, in August of 1950. She raised Jolene on her own, and soon divorced Kenneth. She loved being a mother, and doted over her daughter. She found a steady job at the U.S. Steel Mill in Pittsburg as a telephone operator, and would work there for roughly the next 40 years, when she retired.

In the 1970's she met and fell in love with Earl Woody Taylor. They soon married and built a life in Antioch, California. He became the loving husband that she had always deserved, and a father to Jolene that she had always wanted. They would have a life filled with love and laughter, and 4 grandchildren to keep them busy. After he became ill, she took great care of him for many years until he passed in August of 1990. She was an amazing seamstress and could make just about anything. She even made a wedding dress for a close friend, and made clothes for her grandchildren on a regular basis. She loved nothing more in this world than her daughter and grandchildren.

She was dependable, loving, hard working, dedicated, and loved the Lord. She taught a Sunday school class for many years, and always put God before anything else. She was sure to pass her Christian beliefs onto her daughter, grandchildren, and eventually her great-grandchildren. In 2002 she became GG to our family when she was promoted to "great" grandma, with the welcoming of twin baby boys and the beautiful addition of Amy's daughter, Kirsti, to our family. Over the next 14 years she would be blessed with 6 more great-grandchildren. She adored holding everyone one of them, and covering them in love. They lit up her world and always made her smile. She gave her grandchildren wise advice about parenting and how to live a Godly life, so that those same values would be passed down to her great-grandchildren, and our generations to come. She would have been tickled to have known that she became a great-great-grandmother just last year.

She was a dedicated member of The First Missionary Baptist Church since her early 20's, and her father was a deacon. Her church family was a very important part of her life, and she only missed service if she was ill or out of town. She read her bible regularly and prayed for her family daily. She wanted her daughter, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to grow up with God in their lives, introducing them to the church, and teaching them to always lean on the Lord for everything. Her time was spent going to church, helping to raise her grandchildren, tending to her roses in her garden, sewing, building puzzles, and playing board games among other things. She travelled abroad several times with her best friend Jean, and would also travel to nearby cities to watch Southern gospel groups perform.

Roughly 7 years ago Hazel suffered a debilitating stroke. We slowly watched our GG slip further from this world as her body grew tired. In the beginning, she still loved our visits, even as her memories of us slipped away from her forever, she would smile and hold our hand, and every so often giggle at us as she loved to do. The last two years proved to be the hardest for GG.

On November 28th, 2018, the Lord called Hazel home at the age of 93. She closed her tired eyes one last time, and went peacefully in her sleep. Her body was made anew, and she joyously reunited with her brothers and sisters, and all of her loved ones that had gone before her. They were united hand in hand along the streets of gold, and her suffering in this world had ceased. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” John 6:47.

She is survived by her brother, Woody Stolhand, her sister Nellie Elkins, her daughter, Linda Jolene; four Grandchildren, Drezden, Schuyler, Corbin, and Kailin, their spouses Amy, Mindy, and Jay; nine great grandchildren: Kirsti, Riley, Tanner, Gabriella, Taylor, Mason, Adelyn, Olivia, and Seth; and her great-great-grandson, Benjamin. She also leaves behind her best friend, Jean McCain, members of her cherished church family, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. GG's love for the Lord will live on through her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and generations to come.

Services will be held at her church, First Missionary Baptist Church at 640 E. Tregallas Road in Antioch, on December 8th at 11am, with burial to follow at Union Cemetary located at 11545 Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, Ca 94513. We will have a reception following her services at the church for family and friends to fellowship. Please feel free to share memories, photos, or videos online at www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries.

*In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association at https://www.alz.org, or an offering to GG's beloved church, First Missionary Baptist.