Evergreen Taylor
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Evergreen (Eva Green) Taylor was the seventh child of Rebecca Young and George Washington Taylor. Her mother died when she was two years old. The only thing we know about her childhood is that she was raised by a step-mother that did not believe girs should go to school (book learning was only for boys). It is not known how much Evergreen learned about reading, writing, and arithmetic. When she married Charles he urged her to go to school where he taught, but she was too embarrassed to go to class with the little children.
Evergreen meet Charles David when he came to Alabama to teach school and singing . Grandfather also had a certificate to be a dentist, so he must have been very impressed with this sixteen year old girl, even if she did not have any "book learning". She was a pretty girl. She had a happy, friendly disposition and was a kind and helpful neighbor. The couple was married June 2, 1878. Members of CHarles family joined a group planning to go west. Charles waited until after Laura Jane was born (1879), then he left Grandmother and the baby in Alabama while he proceeded in the territory of Colorado. As soon as he was settled he sent for them to join him. Transportation was by the old wood and coal burning trains. Grandmother said, by the time they arrived in Colorado, all of their clothes were black with soot and smoke. In October o 1882 the family started for Pima, Arizona. Evergreen had three children, Laura (3 years), John (1 year), and Eugene (1 month). The move by oxen and wagon took three months, arriving in Pima in January (1883). We can imagine the courage of Grandmother with the stress of the moving, the cold of the winter traveling through Colorado, making a new home in a strange place. She did have the comfort of the friendly people in the community. Charles said he had $10.00 left when the family arrived in Pima with which to establish a new home. He pitched a tent and the family was quite comfortable. As soon as he could Charles built a two room-double story home of white rock. Each room had a small window and a ladder to the sleeping room upstairs. There was a large fireplace that Grandmother cooked over for a long time. Grandfather finally brought her a stove from Fort Grant. Years later about 1903 he added a living room and bed rooms which were made of red brick. (In figuring dates of birth, there were ten children and two adults living in the original home before the additions were built. Telford was born in 1903 and then Viva. A total of nine children were born in this humble home. Ella, Mattie, Thomas, Henry, Clarence, Orval, Charles Buras, Tilford, and Viva. Laura was born in Alabama. John and Eugene born in Colorado. James Eugene passed away March 6, 1889. He was six years old. Grandmother had to be an industrious mother and a hard worker to raise such a large family. She felt her place was at home taking care of the children and helping with the garden or whatever needed her care. She was indeed a help-mate to her husband through the long, hard years of their pioneer life in this new land. Grandmother was not baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints until June 3, 1886 in Pima. Charles was baptized 1877, before he moved to Alabama and was married. The Arizona Temple was dedicated year 1928. Charles and Evergreen on May 16, 1928, came to the temple to receive their endowments and to be sealed in eternal marriage. Four of the children (Laura Jane, Eugene, Eva, and Orval Clyde) were also sealed to their parents that day. Other children were sealed at later dates. Kendell Haynie wrote: Grandmother was remembered for her gentleness, her sense of right and her helpfulness. Even though she was handicapped as the reading and writing the world knows, she seemed to read the needs of people through her sensitive feelings and she was able to write her own history in the deeds of helpfulness to those around her. She was particularly emphatic, insisting on decency in speech and action. Forty years after coming to Arizona, Grandmother and Grandfather were able to return to Alabama and Georgia to visit their families and gather genealogy. They did temple work for their family and many others. Grandmother passed away in her Pima home, September 18, 1935 (Grandfather died March 28, 1940). She was laid to rest in the Pima cemetery. Information taken from:
"This is the story of my Grandfather as told to me by my mother Laura Jane Taylor Mattice" Written by Jane Taylor Mattice (granddaughter) Material edited by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth, gg-daughter, 1997 George Washington Taylor and Rebecca Young
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