She Was A Giant Of A Woman

Polly Taylor, 1921-2018

Here are some remarks I made at Polly Taylor's memorial service at the Trinity Presbyterian Church yesterday. Scores of people attended, and many paid heartfelt tributes in her memory. Among them was a young Iraqi Christian who was welcomed by her and her son Mike when he emigrated to the states and who lived in her home until he could find a place of his own. That was just so typical of her.

"Living for Jesus" was her favorite song and the theme of her active, well-lived life.

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I can say with confidence that if everyone lived like Polly Taylor, we could save the world. She cared for the earth and for every creature on it, and would never condone any act of violence toward anyone under any circumstances. So I feel truly blessed being able to claim Polly Taylor as one of my admired friends and colleagues in this community, a saint who went about doing good all of her life.

Our paths began to cross over 40 years ago when we were both charter members of a local peacemaker group first known as Choose Life, later to become a local chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. And that little group, a part of coordinating a demonstration and march in Harrisonburg in support of the anti-nuclear Ground Zero Week in the early 80’s, met in Polly Taylor’s home on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month for the better part of a decade, along with committed people like Helen and Murval Annon, Titus Bender, Ruth Bishop, Charles Churchman, Bill Fuller, Ray Gingerich, Gerry Glick, Pete Mahoney, Bill and Ramona Sanders and others. And she would always serve us breakfast at her little house on Valley Street, sharing good things from both her kitchen and from her deeply held convictions in ways I’ll never forget.

And she would have kept on hosting us (she was never weary of well doing) until we started meeting at Bill Springston’s on Franklin street because of his health preventing him from attending otherwise, and then at Alice Springston’s for years and years after that.

She will live on in those of us who loved her as a model of strong faith and good courage. 

And when the roll is called up yonder, I can picture her inviting us in to sit around her table and serving us some good breakfast.