Herschel Lofton Taylor (1917 - 1951)

Born 19 Oct 1917 in Sedalia, Pettis, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eulene Leora (Puntenney) Taylor — married 11 Mar 1939 in El Centro, Imperial County, California

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1951 at age 34 in Merced, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carole Taylor [send private message]

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Biography

Occupation Bomber Mechanic |text=was an Armament Installer during the Second World War

Herschel Taylor is a member of Clan Gunn.

This profile is part of the Greer Name Study.

Born to Clarence Lee and Lula E. Greer-Taylor in Sedalia, Missouri, (the address was 2235 E. 12th on Dad's birth cert) the family moved to Kansas before 1930, where his younger brother, Melvin was born and "their dad left for parts unknown." Mom, Lulu moved her and the 4 kids to Greeley where the rest of her family had already moved. Herschel's middle name is from his maternal grandfather but Albert Lofton Manis, and beyond that is Lofton Maness is the only one found with the Lofton name.

You probably need to know that when my dad was about 18 a friend told him that he had seen Clarence Lee in California. So my dad packed his bag and thumbed his way to L,A, where he might find his dad working on a Carnival. And all was forgiven, by my dad, he got a job there too. Dad had mom jump on a train and come to California so they could get married. Daddy worked for O N Crafts Carnivals with his Dad and got a job for mom too. Clarence Lee/Billie, his new wife. Mom/Dad traveled all over California in tiny trailers. 1939-1941. Until he/his buddies built our home in Clearwater CA. later named: Downey. His best friend Uncle Bob Gilliland worked on the carnival with them.

Then Dad worked for Douglas Aircraft from Dec. 7th 1941 because he could not get into any of the services. (bad back/ Barb remembers this: . I heard the story that dad had a bum leg because of the carnival) So he built the bombers that went over there. After the war was over he transferred to the railroad in Fresno and was a Switchman for Southern Pacific RR. This is where he became friends with the men he worked with: Wayne Hitchcock, Bill Mitchell, and Blackie Johnson. Wayne's #135401631-Bill's #135450529 and unfortunately I can not find the "Blackie/Laverne Johnson" that we have pictures of.

Family Life

1920 census Kinsley, Edwards Kansas, (very strange)

HEAD: Clara Taylor "F" age 30 MO

WIFE: Lula Taylor "F" age 29 MO

SON: Rossve age 7 MO

DAU.: Beulah age 5 MO

SON: HERSCHEL age 2 MO

(So all this info is kinda right except I do not believe Kansas was allowing same sex marriages) I believe the "Clara listed is actually HEAD: Clarence M for male.... and then Melvin the last child born 1921 after this census and when my dad was 3 years old. I am thinking that when Melvin was born it was just too much for Clarence Lee and he split...for California. ^[1]

1930 Greeley, Weld Colorado

HEAD: Lula Taylor age 39 MO

SON: Roscoe age 17 MO

DAU. Beulah age 15 MO

SON: Herschel age 12 MO

SON: Melvin age 9 KS

Greeley Colorado is where Dad met & became friends with his longest friend, Uncle Leonard Gleason. Len was born in Colorado & I have a newspaper clipping that says my 17-18 year old dad was "arrested for driving a car with the wrong plate and that the car belonged to Len Gleason. ^[2]

Occupations

Quit school at about 6th grade, he could read/write/some arithmatic, he and his brother, Roscoe had to help their mom bring home the money.

1. Greeley, Laborer
2. California Carnival Worker
3. Douglas Air Craft Bomber planes mechanic-- War years
4. Railroad Workers

Marriage

California certificate

NAME: Herschel L. Taylor

SPOUSE: Eulene L. Puntenney

DATE: March 14 1939

PLACE: El Centro, Imperial County, California

WITNESSES: Mrs. Frank Johnson/ Wm Thomas Lassoque

1940 Incorporated Compton City, Los Angeles County, California

Enumerated April 8th

Street Name: North Long Beach Blvd.

Residence #: none

Value of house: $100

Previous Address: (both give) Weld, Colorado

HEAD: TAYLOR, HERSCHEL age:22 born in Missouri, "owner" home Occupation: Ride man Roadshow

WIFE: Eulene age 22 North Dakota, Occupation: Ticket Seller Roadshow

(Carnival workers)

(We have pictures of Daddy, Uncle Bob and other friends building the little house on Grant Ave., Clearwater, California) ^[3]

Sept 6 1942 they were living at "914 Comolette Ave. Downey, California" as per Hershey Lee's baby book.

HOWEVER, maybe by 2 years later the county had added a street name/number???

Nov. 14 1944 the address where I was born, as per my birth certificate was: "1443 Grant Ave. Clearwater, California."

By Nov. 12 1948 we had moved to Fresno where Barbara was born, as per her birth certificate, (Probably Rt. !3 Bx 46)

However, I was there and I know our address Rt. 13 box 46 & have proof that we owned a farm in Fresno, California and that I was 6 years old and that my Dad did not die until December 19, 1951.

1950 Fresno, California

Enumeration Date: April 12th by: Vida Catherine Gray

House Street name W. Clinton (2 hse.)

HEAD: Herschel L. Taylor age:32 MO Occupation: R.R. Switchman

Wife: Eulene age:32 ND

Son: Hershey Lee age:7 Ca

Daughter.: Carol age:5 CA

Daughter.: Barbara age:1 CA ^[4]

1951 December 19th----

The address on his death certificate is: "Route 13 Box 46, Fresno, California"

Our Dad died in a car accident in the mountains: Kings River, Madera. We were looking for small Christmas trees for our families. In the car was: our Dad driving, Mom in the passenger seat holding my 3 yr old sister, Barb. Bill Mitchell/Doris, his wife were in the back seat holding their 2 kids. My brother was sitting behind the drivers seat & I was sitting on the floor behind Daddy's seat. It was dark/Daddy took a turn too fast and the car went off the road and rolled several times. Daddy flew out and hit his head on a rock and never regained consciousness. He Died December 19, 1951.

Children

1. Herschel Lee Taylor born Sept 6 1941 -Jan 2007 6 kids, 6-8 grandkids, ???
2. Carole L (Garcia) Taylor- 1944 (THAT's ME)-living- 3 sons and 5 grandkids
3. Barbara J Middlebrook- 1948 living- 2 sons and 3 grandkids & 1 g-grandson and 3 step grandkids. 1 step g-grandson

Just found the 2 newspaper clippings regarding our car accident, "FRESNAN IS HURT SERIOUSLY WHEN CAR OVERTURNS Madera, Co. Dec. 15, Hershel Taylor, 34, Rte 13, Box 46, Fresno, was injured seriously and 8 other persons suffered minor injuries when a car driven by Taylor overturned on the O'Neals Road 1 1/2 miles east of Hgw 41 tonight. Investigating officers said Taylor apparently failed to negotiate a turn. Other injured included his wife Jerry, 30, William Mitchell about 30, 3939 Florodora Av. Fresno, and his wife Doris, 28 and 5 children of the two families. They were due to be dismissed tonight from the Dearborn Hosp. where Taylor was under examination."

MAN INJURED IN CRASH SUCCUMBS "Herschel Lofton Taylor, 34, a switchman for the Southern Pacific RR, died in a Madera hospital yesterday of injuries suffered in an automobile accident Saturday afternoon near O'Neal's. The Fresnan, who resided at Rt. 13 Bx 46, succumbed to injuries which included a fractured skull and a brain concussion. A native Sedalia, Mo., Taylor came to Fresno 5 1/2 years ago and had been employed by the railroad since. He had resided in California for 20 years. The survivors include his widow, Mrs. Eulene Taylor; 3 children, Herschel Lee, Carole and Barbara Taylor, all of Fresno; his father C.L. Taylor of Denver, Co.; his mother L.E. Park of L.A. Ca.; 2 brothers, Roscoe of L.A. and Melvin of San Diego, Ca and a sister, Mrs. Beulah Rutherford in Washington. Funeral rites are scheduled for tomorrow at 2 pm in the Stephens & Bean Chapel. Burial will be in Pasadena. Rev. A.f. Bunney of the First Christian Church will officiate at the services in the Chapel." Funeral was held December 21, 1951

Death

Death: Cause: car accident

Date: 19 DEC 1951

Place: Merced Ca.

California Death Index

Name Herschel Lofton Taylor

Event Type Death

Event Date 19 Dec 1951

Event Place Madera, California, United States

Birth Date 19 Oct 1917

Birthplace Missouri

Father's Name Taylor

Mother's Name Greer ^[5]

Burial

Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, Altadena, California

Burial:  :: Date: 24 DEC 1951

Place: Altadena, California

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF64-Q26 : accessed 10 April 2019), Herschel Taylor in household of Clara Taylor, Kinsley, Edwards, Kansas, United States; citing ED 40, sheet 12B, line 85, family 297, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 530; FHL microfilm 1,820,530.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7WD-VWH : accessed 10 April 2019), Herschel Taylor in household of Lula Taylor, Greeley, Weld, Colorado, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 100, sheet 14B, line 86, family 337, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 252; FHL microfilm 2,339,987.
3. ↑ 1940 census [1]
4. ↑ 1950 census Fresno, California
5. ↑ Death Certificate-- "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch : accessed 26 May 2016), Herschel Lofton Taylor, 19 Dec 1951; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento

1. Find A Grave: Memorial #89138524 Headstone photo
2. Douglas Aircraft certificate of "congratulations of your sons birth"
3. 2 newspaper clippings
4. obituary Remembrance book
5. numerous family photos
6. Marriage license:, . California certificate In my possession
7. Birth certificate In my possession

Acknowledgement

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. Taylor-26602 was created by Carole L. Taylor through the import of wikitree.ged on May 18, 2015.