Jim Taliaferro

Born in Louisville February 29, 1936, Jim was a leap year baby. Raised on a farm near the Newburg area of Louisville, he would entertain the farm cat by squirting it in the face as he milked the cows (which the cat loved). Every year, the family’s 6 boys were told, “if we get the corn laid by, before the fourth of July, we can spend a week at Herrington Lake.” The hardworking family had a long tradition of Summer vacations on the island near the floating wooden-bottom swimming pool.

The entire family attended Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where a church member introduced Jim to Shirley Ann Bogard. They were married on May 10, 1957. He and his brothers built the house the couple moved into once married. Jim continued building houses while serving in the National Guard and working at the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, then a series of civil engineering firms. When tornadoes hit Louisville in 1974, Jim became a full-time builder. The family joined Bethlehem Baptist Church when their two sons were born.

On Sunday, February 2, 1975, Jim preached in a revival at Bethlehem Baptist Church, a sermon entitled, “Moving Day.” His message embodied his life’s work: preparing friends, family, customers, and anyone else he could find, for the time when all of us will make our last move.

Jim’s housing finale was 5910 Outer Loop, a 5 level “tri-level” design featured in the local Courier-Journal newspaper. The family decorated the house annually as a pair of Christmas packages, in recognition of the fact the house his wife Shirley helped design was their Christmas present to each other that year. The couple eventually sold that house and moved into their final location near Fern Valley Road.

Jim turned his building skills toward a more direct ministry approach, building churches across Louisville (including the former Southeast Christian Church facility on Hikes Lane), in Ohio, and around the world. Missions work led Jim and Shirley to such diverse areas as Brazil, Ethiopia, Hawaii, China and the former Soviet Union.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Sidney and Leona Taliaferro, his siblings, Colonel Wallace “Wally” Taliaferro and spouse Vinyard "Don" Taliaferro, Lawrence K. “Larry” Taliaferro, and Carroll Taliaferro.

Jim is survived by his wife of 67 1/2 years, Shirley B. Taliaferro, their sons, Carr Taliaferro and spouse Bettina, and Mark D. Taliaferro and spouse Diane, a brother, Robert "Bob" Taliaferro and spouse Lanora and a sister-in-law, Darleen Taliaferro. Jim is also survived by four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Guests are invited to attend a visitation from 4-8 PM on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at Arch L. Heady at Resthaven, 4400 Bardstown Rd. Louisville KY 40218.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10AM on Friday, February 7, 2025 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 5708 Preston Hwy, Louisville, KY 40219. An entombment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery.

Donations may be made to Hawaii Baptist Academy at https://www.hba.net/giving