Elinor Alice Sherrill Taylor was born March 26, 1926, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Leon Holt Sherrill and Helen Means Jensen Sherrill. She passed away from this life to her eternal home Monday, February 28, 2023, in Owasso, Oklahoma, at the age of 96. Elinor and her mother moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where she graduated from Bartlesville High School in 1944. She moved to Houston, Texas, where she married , and Cheryl was born. She and Cheryl later moved back to Bartlesville.
Elinor grew up in the Christian church and was baptized at summer church camp. During her first marriage, her strong relationship with her mother-in-law, Josie Sheffield drew her to the Baptist church.
In 1954, she was pregnant and seven months along, developed the mumps, which killed the baby in utero. She had to wait in the hospital from Friday till Monday when the doctor would perform the stillbirth. She told Cheryl that was the closest she ever came to losing her mind. She cried out to the Lord, and he said to her “You will have another child; a girl”. That experience left her closer to the Lord than ever.
In the early 60’s, raising a child alone was not that easy. Elinor pinched pennies and showed Cheryl how to live within a budget and live well. The two enjoyed going shopping, to movies, and plays. In 1979, Elinor was married to Cliff Taylor, and in 1988 they made their home in Owasso where she lived until her passing. She was a strong woman of faith and was member of the Owasso First Baptist Church.
Elinor was a huge part of her grandchildren’s lives. When she’d come to Tulsa to shop or go to the doctor, there was usually some reason to drop by Cheryl’s home and say hi to the kids. She was a vital part of family gatherings. Even as she got older and had more trouble hearing, she was glad to be in the center of the action. Even Cheryl’s old dog, Moonie, would jump in Grandma’s lap as soon as she arrived.
It is hard to lose her, but she has now met the son she never knew, has been reunited with many friends and loved ones, and doesn’t suffer from dementia or arthritis anymore. Her family is sad but realizes this is only a temporary separation and, in the wink of an eye for Elinor, we’ll all see her again.
Those she leaves behind who hold many cherished memories include:
Daughter; Cheryl Ide and husband Jay
Half-brothers; Richard, Jeff, and Andy Sherrill, of Seattle, Washington
Stepson; Rusty Tanner and wife Cathie
Grandchildren; Jeff Richardson, wife Kim, and their daughter Rosie
Bri Schmickle, husband Denny, and their children, Leo, Oslo, Wilder, Wrenna
Noah Richardson and wife Christin
Molly Richardson
She was preceded in death by parents, husband James Clifford Taylor, stepson Kenneth Tanner, and a son, stillborn in 1954.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2023, at Mowery Funeral Service in Owasso. Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2023, at the Alsup Chapel of the Baptist Village with Chaplain Steve Williams and Reverend Deacon Jay Ide officiating. Committal service and interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The family requests memorial contributions be made in Elinor’s memory to the Adam’s Fund-Owasso, Attn: Terry Dennis, 3800 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73112. Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso.
www.moweryfs.com
