Anna M. Taylor, 97, of Bruce, died Monday, April 9, 2018, at her home in rural Brookings County.
Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Monday at Sterling United Methodist Church, in rural Brookings. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.
Anna Mary was born to Lowell and Ruth (Perso) Workman on Sept. 9, 1920, at her maternal grandparents’ home in Eureka Township, Brookings County. She joined a brother, George and was to become “big sister” to Vida and David. She was raised in a loving, Christian home with her Grandma Workman and family. When she was 4, her father built her a milk stool and she joined her brother, George, her dad and the hired man in the milk barn. It was the beginning of many lessons her father taught her as she worked beside him.
She attended grade school at the “Brick School” (District No. 41) in rural Brookings and secondary school at the “Aggie School” at South Dakota State. After two years at South Dakota State, she attended and graduated from the Stewart Hairstyling School in Sioux Falls. She worked in Redfield and Aberdeen.
While roller skating at Lake Campbell, she met her future husband, Merle Taylor. They were married on June 12, 1946, at the Sterling Methodist Church. They started farming in Moody County and later moved to Brookings County where they farmed for many years. They were blessed with sons, Lowell, James and Marc and daughters, Vianne, Robin and Lois.
Anna loved animals – especially horses, birds and most of all little kids. She was a treasure to her family. At the age of 89 with Marc and granddaughter, Anna she took the “best trip of her life” to New York City – where they visited her sister-in-law, Leona Johnson, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, toured Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Her fascination with history including the space program never ended.
Anna is survived by sons James (Gwen) of Estelline and Marc (Dee) of Mandan, North Dakota; daughters, Vianne of Mandan, North Dakota and Robin of Bruce, seven granddaughters; two great-grandchildren and sisters-in-law, Leona Johnson of Pine Brook, New Jersey and Dorothy Workman of Sioux Falls.
She was preceded in death by her husband Merle; son, Lowell; daughter Lois; brothers George and wife Lillie and David Workman; sister Vida and husband Keith Reed, sister-in-law Betty and husband Art Beyer and brother-in-law Ray Johnson.
Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com.
