Wilbur Wil Taylor

WILBUR 'WIL' TAYLOR Funeral services for former area resident, Wilbur Lane "Wil" Taylor Sr. will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Lifeway Baptist Church with Elder Conway Wood officiating. Interment will follow at Lebanon Cemetery. A reception will be held following the services at the Lewis Arriola Community Center. Wil was born Nov. 2, 1953, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to parents Earl "Smoky" Taylor and Ruth (Byers) Ranne'. From Idaho they moved to Phoenix, Ariz., where Wil enjoyed the desert and had a horse named "Frosty." Will went to first, second and third grade there. Many fond memories were made in Arizona. From Arizona, Wil's family moved back to Cortez, the birthplace of his parents, and established a farm seven miles south of Cortez. Wil finished his education in Cortez, graduating from Montezuma-Cortez High School. After high school, Wil and his older brothers worked at a trading post in Arizona. He later moved to Bluff, Utah, and worked with his father and brothers in their jewelry business. He became quite an accomplished silversmith and made many fine pieces of jewelry. He moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, and worked on a cowboy boot line. After moving to Farmington, N.M., Wil opened an arcade and billiard recreation hall and later began a spa/pool business. While in Farmington, an opportunity to work in the nondestructive testing field presented itself, evolving in to a quality control inspector position, working at various power plant construction job sites around the United States. Wil thrived in this work and during a job assignment in Connecticut, he met and married his lovely wife, Kathleen. They moved from Las Vegas, Nev., and made their current home in Mesquite, Nev., were they were very happy. Wil was in Pueblo, Colo., working at a large power generating construction site when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Wil continued to work while receiving treatments. The doctors were impressed at his ability to maintain his regular working schedule during treatment. He moved to his next job in Coolidge, Ariz., where a new power generating plant is being built. Wil continued his treatments in Casa Grande, Ariz. Wil's work ethic allowed him to work until 28 days before his passing. Wil is survived by his wife, Kathleen; mother, Ruth Ann Ranne'; daughters, Tanya and Crystal; son, Lane; six grandchildren; brothers, Jim, Glenn, Joe, Lewis; sister, Leita; stepchildren, Karl, Kurt and Kirsten; and many extended family members. Wil was preceded in death by his father, Earl Ellis Taylor.