The Funeral services celebrating the life of Mrs. Utahna "Tony" Taylor, 80, of Enid are pending under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.Utahna June “Tony” Taylor, 80, passed away Sept 15, 2016 after a short illness.
The services celebrating her life will be 10:00 A.M. Friday, September 23, 2016 at Garriott Road Church of Christ with Ray Rose officiating. Graveside services will follow at Hennessey Cemetery. Service are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Family visitation will be held Thursday, September 22, 2016 from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Brown-Cummings Funeral Home in Enid.
Utahna June Dryden, was born June 22, 1936 in Logan, Utah to Bert Lloyd and Ethel Leora May (Poindexter) Dryden.
She came to the Poindexter Farm, east of Ames, after her Dad got out of the Service. It was the spring of 1946 and she entered the Ames Public School, as a 4th grader. She really enjoyed 4-H Club and playing Softball and Basketball from 1947 to 1954. It was through 4H that she met Donnie “Joe” Taylor of Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma in the 8th grade.
After high school graduation she worked at the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation office in Enid, before entering Oklahoma A & M College in the fall of 1954. There she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and played college Softball and Basketball and was a member of several other organizations: WAA, Orange Quill, Orange and Black Quill and Omicron Nu.
In the spring of 1955, Donnie Joe Taylor gave his fraternity pin to his sweetheart, Tony Dryden. They were engaged in 1956 and married August 31, 1957 by Joe’s older brother, Archie Taylor in Fairview, Ok. They continued their education together. After graduation from Oklahoma State University (formally A & M) in May 1958, they moved to the Fort Worth, Texas where Joe had a job ‘waiting’ for him at General Dynamics and later Lockheed Martin.
In 1976 they moved to Enid, Oklahoma, so they could help their parents on the farms in the Ames/Drummond and Cheyenne Valley areas. She was very active in the Garriott Road Church of Christ.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Leora Dryden of Drummond, Ok, beloved husband Joe of Enid, OK, and brother in law Charles W Monsees of Enid, OK.
Survivors are sister, Patricia Monsees of Enid, Ok; sons, Kirk Dryden Taylor (Paula) of Haslet, TX; Scott Douglas Taylor (Missy) of Roanoke, TX and daughter, Traci Jo Collums (Danny) of Ames, Ok. Her 9 grandchildren: Blake Taylor (Lanie), Zachary Taylor (Brittani), Courtney Taylor, Charlie Jo Taylor, Dakota Turnham (JJ), Steven Taylor, Dana Taylor, Noah Coppock, and Laekin Skye Rush, 2 great grandsons: Caseton Taylor and Everett Taylor and a great granddaughter: Ember June Turnham. She also has 3 step grandchildren: Jacob Collums (Emily), Elizabeth Collums-Banks, and Dillon Collums and 3 great step grandsons: Malachi Collums, Tyson Banks and Tyger Banks; and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials made to In Search of the Lord’s Way, High Plains Children’s Home, or to the donor’s choice with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as the custodian of the funds.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.Brown-Cummings.com
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