Ben Taylor

From his earliest years, Ben Taylor had a penchant for travel. He traveled much throughout the years, all while taking in the beauty of the road ahead. Although quiet in nature, Ben lived with a strong faith. He was a humble man who fought valiantly with sacrifice. He never sought the spotlight or recognition, and enjoyed the simple pleasures that life had to offer. Deeply missed, he will be fondly remembered.

By 1921, the American way of life was growing at a rapid pace filled with many new innovations and advancements. Business and industry was bustling during a time forever remembered as the Roaring Twenties. Music and baseball went hand-in-hand, and the focus of entertainment boomed. Amidst these changing times on September 25, 1921, nestled in the small Michigan community of Bravo in Allegan County, Frederick and Laverna (Smith) Taylor welcomed the birth of their son, Ben into their hearts.

The third of eventually seven children in the Taylor household, Ben joined his older brother, Fred, and sister, Marion. He later welcomed the addition of his younger siblings, Elmer, Leslie, Laverna, and John. Ben's father was a Nazarene minister while his mother remained at home with the children, and helped with the church.

Ben enjoyed a childhood typical of the times, despite years of struggle during the Great Depression. He experienced the joys of boyhood adventures, and even had a pet crow that followed him where ever he went. Ben attended the area schools, and like most young people during these times, left his schooling behind after the eighth grade. Times were indeed difficult for their bustling household, and Ben took on a paper route to earn extra money. When Ben was in his teens, his father decided to build a home to call their own. Together, Ben and his father would walk five miles to work on the house. At night, and if weather permitted, they took shelter and slept at the local paper mill on Cork Street.

No stranger to hard work, as a young man Ben also worked in the CCC camps, known as the Civilian Conservation Corps. A public work relief program, it was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, providing unskilled, manual labor jobs for the conservation and development of natural resources. For Ben, it furnished him with shelter, food, clothing, and most importantly, job skills. He earned a small wage, but most of his earnings were sent home to his family. During his time in the CCC, Ben was instrumental in planting trees and fighting fires in Northern Michigan.

With the onset of World War II, Ben, like many young men, felt the call to duty. On June 6, 1940 he joined the U.S. Army, and was sent overseas following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Wounded in battle in 1942, he became permanently disabled from the war. After his honorable discharge from the service in 1943, and his release from the hospital, Ben returned home to Michigan to the love and support of his family. Even though Ben was a quiet man who often kept to himself, it was especially evident after the war and he never wanted his disability to be a burden on anyone.

Despite his disability, Ben went on to marry a young woman named Beatrice Stoneburner in the mid-forties. Although their marriage came to an end, Ben delighted in becoming a father to their son, Kenard. With a second try at love, Ben met and married Patricia Blum, and together they shared the birth of his namesake and son, Ben. In time, they divorced, as well.

Ben was a talented musician and spent a good deal of time playing in several classic country bands over the years. In fact, he made his own first pedal steel guitar out of coat hangers. One night while playing at the Dickens Inn, Ben met Luella Beers. She was there to hear the band, and after striking up a conversation, a romance soon bloomed. They dated for the next 13 months, and on October 21, 1960, Ben and Luella became husband and wife. He took her daughter, Linda, on as his own, and as a family they enjoyed much together.

Life was an adventure with Ben. Together they enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, and most of all, traveling together. They traveled to many destinations, and all throughout Florida, Canada, Mexico and points out West. Where ever they went, Ben's hunting dog, a beagle named Queenie was sure to be by his side. They also had a cat, Bootsy. Over the years they also enjoyed attending family reunions. In his younger years, Ben also liked deer hunting with family and friends. At every opportunity, he went fishing, and he loved eating fish.

Ben and Luella spent most of their married life together in the seventies living in a travel trailer. They eventually bought a home in Newaygo, but ended up selling everything off to live in a travel trailer once again. They finally settled in the Vicksburg area where they made their permanent home.

Even though Ben's father was a minister and he was raised in faith, he didn't come to have a personal relationship with his Lord until much later in life. In 1972, Ben gave his heart to the Lord, and became a Christian. Ben and Luella were baptized together at the Hardy Dam, beginning a new chapter of their lives together.

With a strong, quiet faith, Ben lived the rest of his days with a faithful heart. He was an avid reader of many religious books which strengthened his daily walk. Ben was a quiet man who didn't place value in worldly possessions, but with his beloved Luella by his side, Ben enjoyed exploring the country and all it had to offer. Deeply missed, Ben will be forever remembered in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

Ben Taylor, age 93 of Vicksburg passed away January 18, 2015. Visit with his family and friends on Friday, January 23 from 10-11 AM at the Life Story Funeral Home, Vicksburg; 409 S. Main St. (269-649-1697) where his funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM.

Ben’s family includes his wife of 54 years, Luella; his children: Kenard (Kathy) Taylor, Ben F. (Paula) Taylor, Linda Hoch-Taylor; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; siblings: John (Alice) Taylor, Fred Taylor Sr. as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents; two sisters and two brothers. Please visit Ben’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a favorite memory or photo and sign his memory book online before coming to funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Disabled Veterans of America.