Myrtle Louella Larson Taylor

Myrtle was born to Magnus and Inga Larson in Kensington, Minnesota. Shortly after graduating as class valedictorian, she moved to Minot, North Dakota where her sister, Rose, owned a restaurant. While working at the restaurant she met Clifford “Pete” Taylor and the couple married in October of 1939.

After welcoming their daughter, Gloria Patricia, “Patty”, into the world, the small family moved to Boise, Idaho for a time and then to Asotin, Washington where they operated a bakery. The couple settled in the Portland Metro area, living in Beaverton, Portland and Gresham, and welcomed four more children; Marvin, Linda, Carolyn, and James, into the world.

Myrtle and Pete operated the St. Francis Grill at the St. Francis Hotel from 1949-1955. In 1959 they opened Taylor’s Viewpoint, a country western nightclub and restaurant, in NE Portland. In 1969 Pete and Myrtle sold the business and entered semi-retirement. Their love of salmon fishing turned into a charter fishing business in Ilwaco, Washington. Both Myrtle and Pete obtained their Skipper’s License to skipper the “Silver Prince”.

During the 1950s Myrtle was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and Pete was active with The Shriners. They were both active with the Beaverton Elks Club. The demanding hours of the restaurant life paired with the work of raising five children left little time for much else, but she enjoyed traveling, bowling, and salmon fishing with Pete, and golf and Pinochle with her friends. After Pete’s passing in 1976, Myrtle ventured further away from home, traveling to Africa, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. In 2010 Myrtle moved to Princeton Village Assisted Living in Clackamas where she resided until her passing.

Myrtle will be missed by her sons, Marvin (Helen) Taylor and James Taylor; daughters, Linda (Jim) Rilette and Carolyn Myers; sister, Idele Kruithoff; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Pete; daughter, Gloria; sisters, Rose Langseth and Evelyn Mertz; and brothers, Clarence Larson, Morrell Larson and Melvin Larson.

Visitation will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2014, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., both at Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.

Arrangements under the direction of Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Portland, OR.