Lillian Marie Taylor

Lillian Marie Taylor, 80, of Carman, died Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.

Born June 7, 1942, in Burlington, IA, she was the daughter of Howard W. and Pauline M. Coates. On March 12, 1961, she married her first husband,Craig McKelvey. Together they had three children. They later divorced. On October 12, 1974, she married Gary Hamilton, but later divorced. Lillian then married Jack Taylor on July 7, 1999 in Illinois. 

Lillian graduated in 1960 from Burlington High School then proceeded to go to Apollo Junior College. Later in life, she spent three years at Iowa State studying anthropology.

When Lillian was young, she worked at her father's grocery store then, as a teenager, she worked at Dogs n Suds on roller skates. Later, she worked at IRC/TRW, Ewingers Appliances, Gary's TV, Tom's Vending, retiring from the Basket Factory.

Lillian was a member of St. Luke's. She sang in the choir for school and church. She enjoyed crafts, painting and making wreaths. She and Jack had many Yorkies over the years that they cherished and loved. She loved to read, garden her flowers, bird watch, and play Clue. Lillian enjoyed music of all types, and the piano, organ, violin and accordion and spoke French and Latin.

Survivors include her husband, Jack Taylor of Carman, IL; son, Scott McKelvey of Wichita, KS; two daughters, Becky Petersen of Mediapolis and Christine McKelvey of Burlington; two step-daughters, Wendy (Mark) Hall of West Burlington and Barbara Sherdahl of Carman, IL; five grandchildren, Lyssy (Cheney) Hanken, Sara (Karson) Westerkamp, Kelsey Hall, Kayla Kayser, and Connor Sherdahl; four great-grandchildren, Alby and Petey Hanken and Miles and Marshal Hall; sister-in-law, Laura Coates of Mediapolis; several nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Dalend and Tom, sister, Nancy Freitag, Nancy's husband, Roy Freitag, and Dalend's first daughter, Pammy Coates.

There will be no services at this time.

A memorial has been established.

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