LaVon Evans Taylor

LaVon was born on December 21, 1926 in Safford, Graham County, Arizona. Her parents were Arthur Ray Evans and Verna Maud Cook. She was the second oldest of six children. She grew up in Eastern Arizona in the cities of Pima and Safford and spent the early part of her childhood on Cluff’s ranch where her father farmed. She enjoyed school, was a bashful child, and loved life on the ranch. She was baptized at age 8 at the Pima church with her Sunday school class. She enjoyed the farm chores, included gathering wood for the wood-burning stove, feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs, and ironing with the heavy flat irons which were heated on the stove.

The family moved to Safford the summer after fourth grade when her father switched from farming to carpentry. It was there that she began her love of reading, which she loved all the days of her life. She wrote that their “home life was very happy.” LaVon, her mother and sisters would spend each morning cooking the family’s main meal, and they would then have the afternoon to do whatever they enjoyed. Most days, they worked on sewing and needlecraft projects. The sewing machine was in the living room, and she remembered these being very enjoyable afternoons.

LaVon remembers being very shy. She became involved in school leadership her junior year of high school, and had her first bit of work for the Graham County Guardian area newspaper the summer between her junior and senior year. Her senior year, she worked on the school newspaper and on the school annual; which she enjoyed. She worked for the Graham County Guardian the next summer and into her college years.

She attended two years of college at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona, where she was the editor of the school newspaper and president of the girl’s chapter of Lambda Delta Sigma sorority. She also had classes from Wesley Taylor, who would late become her father-in-law.

She finished her education at the University of Arizona and graduated in May 1948 with a degree in Home Economics Education. She reports having to take the same chemistry class as the pre-med students. It was hard but she did it.

In January of 1949, she accepted a call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Uruguay. She was the first woman missionary who ever served there. She boarded a train to New York City, from which she traveled by ship to Uruguay. As a missionary, she became fluent in Spanish. She loved her experiences as a missionary and loved the people of Uruguay. As LaVon was finishing her mission, she received a letter from the president of Eastern Arizona College offering her a job as the Dean of Women students. She accepted and in 1951 she enjoyed working with the students, coaching some of the sports, and being Dorm Mother. During the summers, she took classes at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah to expand her knowledge. She formally began a master’s degree in counseling and psychology at BYU at some point. She felt that if she were going to continue working, she might as well increase her education to expand her opportunities.

The summer of 1956 she was at her parents’ home playing with nieces Karey and Sue on the grass. On onr occasions, her college psychology teacher Mr. Taylor pulled up in his vehicle driven by his son Earl. (The story is that Wesley told Earl, “Pull over. There’s LaVon. I want to visit with her.”) They visited a while, and Earl called later for a date. They were engaged in November of 1956 when she and Earl were both home in Safford/Thatcher for Thanksgiving. Earl had been teaching high school science and math classes in Yuma for some time. LaVon graduated from BYU with her Master’s degree in April of 1957, and told her faculty she was skipping ceremonies because she was going home to get married. Earl and LaVon were married for time and eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 19, 1957. She and Earl moved into their newly constructed home in Yuma where she lived the remainder of her life.

LaVon was a wonderful wife, mother and homemaker. She was a tender, loving mother. She was a skilled cook, home decorator and sewed beautiful clothes for her children. She was a wise partner and confidant to her husband Earl. She never raised her voice, and corrected her children by teaching them. She and Earl were united in their decision-making, and they raised their family with joy. She and Earl and the children knelt each morning at the couch for family prayer before everyone headed off for school. The children remember their regular Monday-night family home evenings and the family’s fun outings together. They went to the drive-in movies, watching from the back of Earl’s pickup truck while eating popcorn and drinking water from the “cool can”. They also enjoyed shooting guns in the desert, vacationing at a cabin in Mt Graham, holding picnics with their family friends at Sanguinetti Park, and visiting relatives and grandparents in Safford and Thatcher.

As a mother, LaVon excelled at discovering her childrens’ talents and helping them excel; different as those talents were for each child. She created a happy family life and her love and tenderness are unsurpassed.

LaVon served in many volunteer leadership roles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was the Relief Society President, Stake Relief Society President, and in the leadership for the children’s Primary organization. She particularly loved doing family history research and in her retired years spent many, many hours helping others find their ancestors. One family in particular she helped research in Italian. She has volumes of information from those efforts. She also quietly helped her friends in need. Whenever she went to the store, she would offer to pick up groceries for a colleague suffering with severe arthritis. She would take Sunday dinner each week to a friend with advanced multiple sclerosis and her husband. She cared about everyone who crossed her path, remembering the names and interests of most people.

LaVon worked as a guidance counselor for migrant students at Yuma High School for about ten years until she retired. When she retire, she was reported to have the highest graduation rate of migrant students in the state of Arizona. Her secret was that she loved her students and worked hard to help them succeed. One day a student asked her, “Mrs. Taylor, are you from Mexico?” “No,” LaVon answered, “Why do you ask?” “Well,” the student replied, “then why do you love us so much?”

LaVon is survived by her children John Wesley Taylor, James (Judy) Taylor, Beth (Steven Kerry) Wright, Vernell (John) Allen, and David (Evah) Taylor. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

LaVon is preceded in death by her husband Earl John Taylor (September 28, 2003), her sisters Ruth Evans Hem (16 May 1987), and Melba Evans (13 May 1945), and brothers David Arthur Evans (1 Feb 1930), Ray Hugh Evans (23 June 2006), and Max Edward Evans (18 December 1999).

A funeral service will be held for LaVon on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the 8th Avenue chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2895 S 8th Ave, Yuma, Arizona 85364) chapel.

Viewing at 9:30 am and Services at 10:30 am.

“Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever.” That sums up the life of LaVon Evans Taylor.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared for the Taylor family.