Mrs. Opal Waits Taylor

January 1, 1931 - June 12, 2019

Mrs. Opal Carrie Taylor, 88, passed into the arms of Jesus early Wednesday, June 12, 2019 surrounded by her family in Florence. The family will receive friends for visitation from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14th and again on Saturday, June 15th from 10:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. funeral service all at Quest Community Church in Florence, MS. Her remains will be buried in Tyro Cemetery in Tyro, AR, at a later date. Mrs. Taylor was born on New Years Day in 1931 to Joe Wheeler and Grace Elizabeth McClosky Waits in Gatesville, TX. She was raised in Arizona before meeting and marrying a career soldier whom she followed halfway around the world to Teheran, Iran, and from coast to coast in the USA. She loved being a military wife. After 20 years, Arthur retired from the Army and went back to his family home in Tyro, AR which became her home. Mrs. Opal loved Jesus and she loved her kids; her greatest pleasures in life were her kids visiting her, getting cards or phone calls from them. Her smile was beautifully sweet, and people always responded to it. She taught her kids about Jesus and took them to church whenever possible. “Always keep your hands busy,” she would tell her family; she modeled it also. She worked hard, sewed, crocheted, and embroidered. In her later years, and when she was able to attend church, she would say, “I got to come to church,” when asked how she was doing. She had a great sense of humor, laughed a lot and was quick to pull a trick that had everyone laughing. Her family will deeply miss this woman who loved and gave so much love. Along with her parents, Mrs. Opal is preceded in death by her husband Arthur Willard Taylor. She is survived by her sons, Claude (Debra) Taylor of Warren, AR, and Pat (Millie) Taylor of Tupelo, MS; her daughters, Donna (Roger) Warren of Florence, MS, Joyce Taylor of Rogers, AR, Sandra Taylor of Rogers, AR, and April Weems of Dumas, AR; brothers, Ralph (Karen) Waits of Phoenix, AZ and Jody (Paula) Waits of Kingsman, AZ; her sister, Annie McKay of Nampa, ID; 9 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.